Snooker:Australia's Neil Robertson and English qualifier Mark Selby became the latest players to secure their places in the second round of the world snooker championship at the Crucible in Sheffield.
Seven times champion Stephen Hendry, who had to adjust to a new
cue, beat qualifier David Gilbert 10-7 after finding himself 5-1
down at one stage.
"I had to dig deep and I thought my attitude and
concentration were fantastic throughout the whole match," said the
Scot.
Robertson enjoyed a comfortable passage through to the last
16. He was never behind in his match against Welshman Ryan Day,
winning 10-5.
In the post-match news conference, Robertson complained about
the conditions at the Crucible.
"The conditions were absolutely awful, but there's not much
that the table-fitters can do," Robertson told reporters. "It was
boiling hot out there. There were a lot of kicks and you couldn't
control the white."
Robertson is now preparing to face Ronnie O'Sullivan in the
second round. He has enjoyed success against the world number three
on his way to winning the Welsh Open and Grand Prix titles this
season.
"To have beaten him twice this season gives me a lot of
confidence going into the match," Robertson added. "Ronnie's a
fantastic player and I think he's still the best in the world."
Selby beat Stephen Lee 10-7 to set up a meeting with last
year's runner-up, Peter Ebdon. Lee missed the recent China Open due
to personal reasons and he felt that affected his performance.
"I put some extra work in and was hitting the ball nicely in
practice, but it's hard work when you've had a month without
playing a tournament," said Lee. "I can wait for the summer when I
can get away from this stupid game."
John Higgins, winner of the title in 1998, opened up a 6-3
overnight lead over Michael Holt. Ali Carter has a commanding 7-2
advantage over Andy Hicks, compiling two century breaks in a
one-sided first session.
Both matches play to a finish today.