Snooker: Ireland's Ken Doherty beat Matthew Stevens 13-8 to set-up a quarter-final meeting with Hong Kong qualifier Marco Fu at the world championship this afternoon.
"It doesn't matter who you're playing, you treat every player with the same respect," Doherty said, looking ahead to his clash with Fu. "Marco played very well against Stephen Maguire and anyone who's in the quarter-finals has a chance of winning the tournament."
Stevens, who lost to Shaun Murphy in last year's final at The Crucible, had no complaints about the result.
"He played the better stuff and deserved to win," the 28-year-old Welshman told reporters. "I felt good all the way through the match, but I was always playing catch-up."
Doherty simpley moved up a gear in the final session and claimed five frames in a row to beat his opponent after starting the session locked at 8-8. The 1997 champion compiled four breaks of over 50 to ensure his passage to the quarter-finals.
Peter Ebdon secured his place in the last eight following a comprehensive 13-2 victory over David Gray. Ebdon, who won the title four years ago, will now face defending champion Murphy. The pair met in the semi-finals last year, which Murphy won 17-12.
"He played extremely well to beat me from 12-12 and thoroughly deserved it," Ebdon said of that clash. "He's been an exceptional champion and all credit to him for doing so much to promote snooker."
Scotland's Graeme Dott will face Australian qualifier Neil Robertson after completing a 13-9 win over Nigel Bond.
"It'll be an entirely different game to the one against Nigel because he's far more open," said Dott. "Neil is a great player and I think it'll be a pretty even match."