Zhao Xintong exits World Snooker Championship as Murphy reaches semis

LONDON: Defending champion Zhao Xintong was knocked out of the World Snooker Championship on Wednesday, becoming the latest player to fall to the so-called Crucible curse after a 13-10 quarter-final defeat to Shaun Murphy.

Zhao, 29, made history last year when he became the first Chinese player to win the world title, defeating three-time champion Mark Williams 18-12 in the final. His loss this year means that no first-time world champion has managed to retain the title since the tournament moved to Sheffield's Crucible Theatre in 1977.

Murphy's win leaves the Englishman two victories away from a second world crown, 21 years after he first claimed snooker's biggest prize. Zhao had made the stronger start and moved 3-0 ahead, but Murphy, 43, recovered in the best-of-25-frames contest.

'Shaun played really well, he gave me big pressure and played perfect snooker today,' Zhao told the BBC, adding, 'He deserved to win. I felt some pressure (as defending champion) but I still felt alright. I tried to get better, but Shaun is a good player and he played very well so congratulations to him.'

The match was tied at 8-8 before Murphy moved in front on Wednesday with a break of 98 and added several key contributions, including a match-winning 69, against a player he had described earlier in the week as the 'best on the planet'.

'When you're playing great players, which Zhao Xintong unquestionably is, it makes it straightforward for you,' Murphy said after the match.

Wu Yize sets up semi-final against Mark Allen

China will still have a player in the last four after 22-year-old Wu Yize beat Iran's Hossein Vafaei 13-8 to book his first World Championship semi-final, where he will face Mark Allen.

The contest was level at 4-4 early on, but Wu gradually moved clear with a series of impressive pots.

'The last session I finally found my rhythm which I'm really happy about,' Wu said, adding, 'It's going to be my first time playing the one-table session so I feel I can do anything now.'

Vafaei, who had edged world number one Judd Trump 13-12 in the previous round, praised his opponent's shot-making after the defeat.

'The guy was potting from everywhere -- I lost four or five frames out of nowhere.. It was like playing against a Playstation you know? You are thinking, where can I put the cue ball?' Vafaei said.

Allen advances after Hawkins error

Earlier, Mark Allen secured a place in the semi-finals for the second time in four years with a 13-11 victory over Barry Hawkins.

The match appeared to be heading to a deciding frame after Hawkins fluked a red and was left with a simple tap behind the pink that would have put Allen, from Northern Ireland, in difficulty. However, Hawkins failed to get the cue ball far enough, and the mistake allowed Allen, 40, to close out the match.

Hawkins was runner-up in the 2013 final to Ronnie O'Sullivan.