World No 1 Judd Trump dug in to see off John Higgins in a last-frame decider and book his place in the quarter-finals of the UK Championship, while Zhang Anda made a superb fightback to beat Stuart Bingham.
After the first four frames failed to see a single break over 40 from either player, Trump finally found his rhythm after the interval, moving 3-2 ahead with a break of 111.
Higgins capitalised to take the sixth frame after Trump went in off and then produced a century run of his own with 106 to edge in front again at 4-3.
Trump, though, then turned in breaks of 69 and 75 to reaffirm his advantage, only for Higgins to take the 10th frame with a half-century and force the decider.
It proved a tense affair, with Trump failing to glance a red as he tapped the cue ball into a bunched pack before Higgins, who was 34-0 ahead, laid up off the back cushion, which left a red into the middle.
Trump needed no second invitation, clipping in the red before building a match-winning break of 106 as Higgins watched on forlornly from his chair.
“In the first four frames, we just showed a lot of respect for each other, didn’t want to give easy chances,” Trump told BBC Sport.
“After (the interval) I just tried to make it a bit more attacking, a bit more free flowing and I think we both benefited from that in the end.
“The game was just too slow and I just want to speed it up.
“After I get into the game, I just feel like I can relax and let go, and that is when I play my best.”
Trump may be many people’s tip to go on and win the triple crown event once again, but the 2019 world champion is taking things as they come.
“I haven’t played my best so far,” he said. “It is nice to do it when it really matters, like in the last frame, it was a great break and I was in perfect position the whole time.
“So probably when the real pressure is on, that is probably when I produce my best stuff. (I am) a long way (off that) at the moment.
“There are a lot of players who are playing good stuff, I am not one of them, but I am still in the event, so I still have time to improve.”
On the other table, Bingham had seemed in complete control as he opened up a 5-1 lead over Zhang.
In the fifth frame, Bingham was set for a 147 chance, but missed the black after a 14th red as his break finished on 105.
Zhang, who made a maximum in his first round win over Lei Peifan, started what looked an unlikely recovery with a break of 81 to take the seventh frame.
The world number 11, though, continued to build momentum, as breaks of 70 and 108 saw him pull level.
From being so dominant, Bingham’s cueing deserted him as Zhang battled through the deciding frame 73-29 to take his place in the quarter-final line-up against Trump.
PA
