Sheffield, United Kingdom--Judd Trump will play China's Ding Junhui in the quarter-finals of the World Championship after defeating Hong Kong's Marco Fu, the other remaining hope of a first Asian world champion at this year's tournament, on Monday.
Trump, sealed his place in the last eight in style, rattling in a break of 133 to complete a 13-8 victory over Fu at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre.
In Monday's late matches, Australia's Neil Robertson, the 2010 world champion, and five-times Crucible king Ronnie O'Sullivan secured quarter-final places with 13-5 wins over Ali Carter and Matthews Stevens respectively.
Trump now faces Ding in a repeat of the duo's 2011 semi-final which saw the Englishman come through 17-15 before losing to Scotland's John Higgins in the final.
Trump has been in fine form this season, winning both the Australian Goldfields Open and World Grand Prix.
By contrast, until arriving at the Crucible, Ding had looked out of touch this term having won a record-equalling five ranking titles last season to extend his career haul to 11.
But he saw off Higgins 13-9 last weekend, prompting the four-time world champion to label Ding "a big, big danger to win this tournament".
Trump though was upbeat about his own form and questioned whether Ding had yet been given much of a test at this year's World Championship.
Meanwhile, world number eight Shaun Murphy, the 2005 Crucible champion, defeated Joe Perry 13-5 to come out on top in an all-English contest.
Murphy will now play Scottish surprise package Anthony McGill, who caused the upset of the tournament so far in knocking out defending champion Mark Selby, in the quarter-finals.
Perry, faced with a mountain to climb at 12-4 down overnight, won Monday's first frame only for Murphy to seal victory by winning an error-strewn 18th frame.
Robertson will now play Barry Hawkins in the last eight, with O'Sullivan facing fellow Englishman Stuart Bingham.
AFP
