Ding suffers another second-round defeat

His 13-10 second-round Crucible win, coming from 10-9 behind, set-up today's last-eight meeting with Ali Carter.

Sheffield-based Ding – who trains at the World Snooker Academy at the city's English Institute of Sport – was forced to watch former Rotherham potter Murphy punish his mistakes, clambering over the winning line with an impressive 128 break in the final frame.

The pair went into last night's third and final session locked at 8-8. They traded the opening frames, before a 130 break from Ding edged him 10-9 ahead and he looked to have made it a two-frame deficit but missed an easy green.

The 2005 World Champion needed no second invitation, nipping in to clear to the pink and restore parity at 10-10.

After the mid-session break, Murphy came out and knocked in a 50 break, but missed a red into the corner.

A three-ball plant, employing a yellow between two reds, paved the way for UK champion Ding to get back in the frame but Murphy survived the rally to edge ahead 11-10.

Snooker insiders have long tipped 23-year-old Ding as a future world champion, but in his three previous trips to the Crucible he has failed to get beyond the second round.

And if Ding was to avoid making that four years, he would have to stage a stunning comeback as Murphy edged the next frame after a bout of tactical play to go 12-10, needing just one more frame for victory.

But 27-year-old Murphy was not to be denied as he looked to go one better than last year, when he only lost out to John Higgins in the final, as he knocked in that match-winning break of 128.

Earlier, the other quarter-final spots had been filled to join Neil Robertson, Steve Davis, Graeme Dott and Mark Allen in the last eight.

All eyes were on the titanic tussle between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Williams.

With no John Higgins to defend his crown, many Crucible tipsters predicted the 2010 winner would come from this match and three-time champion O'Sullivan progressed after a high-quality contest.

His 13-10 win – including breaks of 53, 104, 75, 111 and 106 – in yesterday's session set-up a mouthwatering meeting with Masters champion Mark Selby.

But O'Sullivan was quick to dampen expectations of adding to his haul of titles from 2001, 2004 and 2008.

"There's no point me getting carried away because over the years I've thrown two or three world titles away," he said.

"I know why but I can't cure it. I can't afford to let myself get confident."

Selby was in impressive form as he thumped seven-time champion Stephen Hendry 13-5.

Carter had to survive a spirited fightback from Joe Perry, going from 10-6 ahead to 11-10 behind.

But the 2008 runner-up delivered breaks of 104 and 82 to steady the ship and secure his quarter-final berth 13-11.

Carter said: "At 11-10 down I was looking adversity in the face but I managed to turn the tide and pull it out of the bag. I didn't want to be going home."