Ding through to Masters last eight

SNOOKER: Ding Junhui enjoyed a 6-1 victory over debutant Jack Lisowski at the Dafabet Masters in London to set up a quarterfinal with Luca Brecel.

The first four frames could have gone either way but Sheffield-based Ding went into the interval with a 4-0 lead thanks to a break of 66 in the opener and edging the next three.

Lisowski was made to pay for missing a vital red after a break of 49 in the second frame and the third featured a 20-minute battle on the pink before Ding snatched it to extend his advantage.

The Chinese star then won the fourth frame on the black and compiled a clearance of 123 to make it 5-0 before Lisowski finally got on the scoreboard, but Ding took the seventh frame to seal victory. In the evening session, Sheffield-based Chinese star Ding Junhui enjoyed a

6-1 victory – including a 123 clearance – over debutant Jack Lisowski to set up a quarter-final with Luca Brecel.

Earlier, a tired Ronnie O’Sullivan began his bid for an eighth title with a comfortable 6-2 victory over former world champion Stuart Bingham.

Although Bingham won the opening frame, O’Sullivan took the next five in succession with the aid of breaks of 59, 96, 134, 111 and 60 at Alexandra Palace.

O’Sullivan said: “I can play for another 10 years but I get tired now. I’ve got insomnia really, I’ve had it for seven years and every now and again it catches me out and I felt really tired today.”