Dominant Selby thrashes Carter to reach Masters quarter-finals
Mark Selby produced a superb display to thrash Ali Carter 6-1 and advance to the last eight of the Masters at Alexandra Palace.
Three-time champion Selby compiled breaks of 62, 108 and 93 as he reeled off the first four frames to head into the mid-session interval in complete control.
While fellow Englishman Carter did get a frame on the board once play resumed, he was barely able to make any impression on the match, with Selby knocking in a sublime break of 126 before sealing his victory with a half-century.
"I played in the Championship League last week and felt I was hitting the ball quite well. It is nice to carry it on and bring it into a tournament as big as this," Selby told BBC Sport.
"You are only human and you can easily come out and collapse with this crowd. There is a lot of pressure out here."
Selby will now face Mark Allen or Si Jiahui in the quarter-finals.
Earlier on Monday, Ding Junhui edged past Mark Williams 6-5 in a final-frame decider to book his place in the next round against either Judd Trump or Barry Hawkins.
While neither player was at their best in a fragmented opening to the match, the contest sparked into life after the mid-session interval.
Having made breaks of 57 and 70, Wales' two-time winner Williams led 3-2 before the momentum swung back towards his Chinese opponent, who enjoyed runs of 64 and 60.
In a see-saw encounter Williams compiled a sublime break of 136 to level and then pinched the ninth frame after Ding faltered on 66 to lead 5-4.
However, the 2011 champion made a 76 to force an 11th frame after enjoying a fortuitous run of the balls, and then secured his win with a wonderful break of 90.
Selby delivers vintage performance
Selby delivered arguably the performance of the first round so far in the way he comprehensively outplayed Carter.
The 41-year-old was excellent in the tactical exchanges and capitalised on almost every error from his fellow Englishman.
That was underlined in the second frame, when world number 11 Carter failed to cannon the brown while potting the green.
It ultimately left the door open for Selby to punish him by stealing the frame on the black.
And from there, 'The Jester from Leicester' only grew stronger with his opponent visibly struggling.
While Selby may have not reached the semi-finals of this event for over a decade, his British Open success earlier this season and recent performances at the Championship League suggest another big title may not be far away.
A good omen for Ding?
On each of the previous three occasions that Ding has beaten Williams in a Triple Crown event, he has gone on to reach the final.
And with the way in which the balls ran during the closing stages he may feel that the omens are in his favour this time around.
The 37-year-old will also be buoyed by his return to the winners' circle this term after securing his first ranking title in five years at the International Championship in November.
"I had a bit of luck at 5-4 down. I smashed all the balls and he got no chance," Ding told BBC Sport.
"I love the Masters tournaments. They are always tough. We both struggled at the start and I told myself to relax."
With Ronnie O'Sullivan withdrawing on Friday and John Higgins bowing out in the opening match, Williams' defeat marks the end of the involvement of any of the 'Class of 92' in the event.
"He had one hell of a run with the balls but those are the fine margins," said Williams.
"I think the run of the ball cost me but I've had plenty in my time. You still have to make the breaks and he did."
