2007 World Snooker Champs – updated!
May 1st, 2007
Last 16 (best of 25 frames):
A Hamilton bt I McCulloch 13/8, S Maguire bt J Swail 13/8, J Higgins bt F O’Brien 13/4, R O’Sullivan bt N Robertson 13/10, M Stevens bt M Allen 13/9, S Murphy bt J Parrott 13/8, M Selby bt P Ebdon 13/7, A Carter bt S Hendry 13/6.
NZ Herald Press Release : 01 May 2007
Former champion John Higgins moved to within a frame of the quarter-finals yesterday. Higgins could be joined in the Last 8 of the tournament be Allister Carter, who also stands on the brink of victory in his match against seven-times champion Stephen Hendry.
Resuming with a 6-2 lead over Ireland’s Fergal O’Brien, Higgins produced an impressive display of break-building with runs of 135, 100, 98, 87 and 67 to finish the day 12-4 ahead. The 31-year-old Scot, who won the title in 1998, now looks certain to seal victory in today’s concluding session.
Carter is also 12-4 up against Hendry after being 6-2 ahead at the start of the second session. Their match also plays to a finish today.
Earlier in the day, tournament favourite Ronnie O’Sullivan opened up a four-frame lead over Australia’s Neil Robertson in their second round match. After Robertson claimed the first frame with an 87 break, O’Sullivan responded with a run of 104. Robertson struggled to reproduce the form which saw him beat O’Sullivan on the way to winning the Welsh Open and Grand Prix titles this season. O’Sullivan ended the afternoon with a century break to go 6-2 up.
Last year’s beaten finalist, Peter Ebdon, is level with qualifier Mark Selby at the end of the first session in their match. Selby, who knocked out Stephen Lee in the first round, made the brighter start, going 3-1 ahead. Ebdon reeled off three frames in a row, with breaks of 66, 62 and 60 to edge in front at 4-3. Selby took the final frame of the afternoon with a half-century break to make it all-square.
