Shaun Murphy of England, known as \\"The Magician\\", secured his spot in the quarterfinals of the World Snooker Tour (WST) World Open in Shangrao, eastern Jiangxi Province of the Chinese mainland, by defeating Ding Junhui from the Chinese mainland 5-2 in the round of 16 on Wednesday.
Murphy dominated the early stages, winning three of the first four frames to lead 3-1 after the opening session. Ding Junhui responded strongly in the fifth frame, though he missed an opportunity to level the score as Murphy maintained his advantage. Despite Ding's efforts to come back, including a 20-1 lead in the sixth frame, a mishit cost him the frame, leaving Murphy one win away from advancing.
In the decisive seventh frame, Murphy showcased his skill with a break of 93, ensuring his progression to the quarterfinals as the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw.
Meanwhile, Murphy's next opponent, Joe O'Connor, joined the last eight after defeating Michael Holt 5-3 in an all-English matchup. Ali Carter overcame compatriot David Lilley with a 5-1 win and is set to face Barry Hawkins, who defeated Wales' Ryan Day 5-3.
England's Zak Surety also progressed by knocking out home favorite Liu Hongyu 5-2 and will meet compatriot Tom Ford in the quarterfinals. In addition, Pang Junxu emerged as the sole home competitor advancing by defeating Xu Si 5-2, setting up a clash with Scotland's John Higgins, who won after a close 5-4 battle against the Chinese mainland's Zhou Yuelong.
