Allen advances, Robertson out despite 147

Snooker: Mark Allen advanced to the quarter-finals of the China Open after his 5-3 victory over world number two Stephen Maguire…

Snooker:Mark Allen advanced to the quarter-finals of the China Open after his 5-3 victory over world number two Stephen Maguire today in Beijing where Neil Robertson recorded a maximum 147 but it was the only frame he won.

Allen lost the opening frame but quickly reeled off four frames on the spin. Maguire then fought back to make it 4-3 but the Antrim cue man secured victory with a break of 60 in the eighth and final frame.

"I'm pleased to get through because I wasn't at my best," said Allen, who will now play Stephen Hendry after defeating Wales’ Ryan Day 5-0.

Robertson potted 15 reds, 15 blacks and all the colours to record his first maximum and earn a £20,000 (€22,500) bonus.

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But the Australian managed just 99 more points in the next four frames as former world champion Peter Ebdon ran out a 5-1 winner to book his place in the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere, Stephen Hendry thrashed Ryan Day 5-0 to set up a quarter-final clash with Allen.

Day was completely out of sorts and managed a top break of just 16 as Hendry took full advantage.

Welshman Mark Williams won a high-class encounter of world champions, beating Scotland's John Higgins 5-2.

Higgins recorded breaks of 67 and 93 but Williams responded with runs of 73, 81 and 108 on his way to victory.

China's Ding Junhui gave the home crowd something to cheer with a 5-3 win over Mark Selby, despite almost suffering a case of the blues.

Leading 4-2, Ding missed a simple blue off the spot when he looked set to clear the table and win the match, and then suffered a complete miscue on the same ball in the next frame as well.

However, Selby was unable to take advantage and Ding held his nerve to seal the win.

Earlier in the day, Marco Fu reeled off five frames in a row to beat Nigel Bond 5-3.

Bond looked to be in total command of the match as he raced into a 3-0 lead, including a break of 74 in the third frame.

Hong Kong's Fu managed just 26 points in that time before a break of 71 in the fourth frame kickstarted his comeback.

All four morning matches finished 5-3, with Ali Carter, Mark King and Allen progressing to the next round.

Carter beat Joe Perry despite letting a 3-1 lead slip, the former World Championship finalist making breaks of 79 and 70 in the last two frames to seal victory.

King and Tian Pengfei were also locked at 3-3 before King rattled in a break of 91, comfortably the highest of the match, to edge ahead.

And the left-hander won a scrappy final frame to seal the win, largely thanks to a break of 43.

China Open - Second Round Results

Ali Carter (Eng) bt Joe Perry (Eng) 5-3
Marco Fu (Hkg) bt Nigel Bond (Eng) 5-3
Mark King (Eng) bt Tian Pengfei (Chn) 5-3
Mark Allen (NIrl) bt Stephen Maguire (Sco) 5-3
Stephen Hendry (Sco) bt Ryan Day (Wal) 5-0
Mark Williams (Wal) bt John Higgins (Sco) 5-2
Peter Ebdon (Eng) bt Neil Robertson (Aus) 5-1
Ding Junhui (Chn) bt Mark Selby (Eng) 5-3

Quarter-Final Draw

Ebdon v Junhui
Hendry v Allen
King v Carter
Fu v Williams