Ali Carter says he is learning to control his emotions after breezing into the semi-final of the Duelbits Players Championship with a 6-1 victory over Robert Milkins.
Carter dominated from start to finish as newly-crowned Welsh Open champion Milkins was overpowered in Wolverhampton.
“I was completely calm and thought I was on a bit of a free roll because I was sitting in my chair last night (against Judd Trump) thinking I’d lost,” Carter told ITV.
“I am challenging myself in practice. I’m setting up really hard routines – and it is frustrating – but if you’re looking for improvement you’ve got to make the practice really hard for yourself.
“I’m also controlling my emotions as well, which I’ve not always been the best at.
“My head still wants to come off sometimes, but I am trying to keep a lid on it because I’ve lost so many matches in the past where I’ve let my emotions get the better of me.
“I’ve beat myself and I’m 43 now, so I can’t afford to be beating myself.”
Breaks of 66 and 98, either side of a tight and tactical frame, saw Carter stretch into a 3-0 lead.
Milkins won the fourth frame but Carter – who had a 95 per cent pot success and scored 531 points overall to his opponent’s 192 – secured his progress with a 75 break.
Earlier, Luca Brecel and Gary Wilson booked their places in the last eight.
Brecel beat Jack Lisowski 6-4 to set up a quarter-final date with Joe O’Connor, while Wilson will play Kyren Wilson after easing past Ding Junhui 6-3.
The winner of the O’Connor-Brecel tie will meet Carter in the semi-final.
