Barry Hawkins v Ding Junhui: Hawk dominates for 2018 World Championship semi-final place

ByEurosport

Updated 02/05/2018 at 15:10 GMT

Barry Hawkins qualified for the World Championship semi-finals after a dominant 13-5 win over a struggling Ding Junhui in the last eight.

Barry Hawkins is ahead against Ding Junhui (Rui Vieira/PA)

Image credit: PA Sport

Ding Junhui started the day's play trailing Barry Hawkins 11-5, and Hawkins swiftly took the first frame of the morning's session before quickly claiming victory with another century break.

Hawkins will face the winner of Mark Williams and Ali Carter's quarter-final that is due to be completed on Wednesday evening.

John Higgins and Judd Trump were more tightly matched as Trump began the day 5-3 up. Trump won his sixth frame, before the seventh was decided on the black, again by Trump, before a dogged Higgins finally recovered to level at seven frames all, with each of Trump and Higgins adding another frame to end on 8-8.

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TUESDAY'S REPORTS

Without ever needing to find top gear, 2013 finalist Hawkins produced a professional performance as China's leading player and third seed Ding largely fell apart in the second session having trailed 5-3 from the morning session on Tuesday.

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Hawkins move effortlessly from 5-3 to 8-3 ahead with knocks of 60, 73 and 76 before Ding compiled 102 and 52 to briefly reignite his hopes by recovering to 8-5 behind.

But Hawkins made his dominance count against the 2016 finalist as a break of 63 in the 14th frame and a closing effort of 113 left him on the cusp of a second successive semi-final at the sport's biggest event.

Since losing to Ronnie O'Sullivan in the 2013 final, Hawkins has reached the semi-finals in 2014, 2015 and 2017 while also making the quarters in 2016.

Kyren Wilson has put himself in a similarly commanding position against Masters champion Mark Allen by winning the second session 7-1 for an 11-5 overnight advantage having being all square from 4-4 after the first session.

Wilson enjoyed breaks of 105, 90, 63 and 92 to go with his 52, 125, 90 and 83 from earlier in the day.

Allen won the 12th frame with a break of 78, but was forced to sit and suffer as the man he beat in the Masters final exacted sweet revenge to leave himself on the brink of the last four.

He will face John Higgins or Judd Trump in the semi-finals if he can win two more frames with the winner of Mark Williams or Ali Carter likely to face Hawkins.

Trump leads Higgins 5-3 with Williams and Carter locked at 4-4 with all four quarter-finals played to a finish on Wednesday.

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Quarter-final schedule (best-of-25 frames)

Tuesday 1 May

10am
Mark Allen (16) 4-4 Kyren Wilson (9)
Ding Junhui (3) 3-5 Barry Hawkins (12)
2.30pm
Ali Carter (15) 4-4 Mark Williams (7)
John Higgins (5) 3-5 Judd Trump (4)
7pm
Mark Allen (16) 5-11 Kyren Wilson (9)
Ding Junhui (3) 5-11 Barry Hawkins (6)

Wednesday 2 May

10am
Ding Junhui (3) 5-13 Barry Hawkins (6)
John Higgins (5) 8-8 Judd Trump (4)
2.30pm
Ali Carter (15) v Mark Williams (7)
Mark Allen (16) 6-13 Kyren Wilson (9)
7pm
Ali Carter (15) v Mark Williams (7)
John Higgins (5) v Judd Trump (4)

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