SNOOKER/World Championship:Anthony Hamilton, who freely admitted to an attack of Clinchers Disease when he lost from three-up with four to play against Mark Williams in last month's China Open Final, kept fears of a repeat outcome at bay when he defeated the 2000 champion 13-9 yesterday to earn a quarter-final against Peter Ebdon in the Embassy World Championship at the Crucible Theatre.
Hamilton made 12 half centuries, including a match-winning 70 when he was "shaking like a leaf" after his 12-7 lead had been reduced to 12-9.
"All I could think about was Shanghai to be honest. I knew if I got one good chance I would keep my head together this time. This is the second round of the world championship but it's no final," said Hamilton.
Earlier yesterday two players who lost with a session to spare, embraced their looming fates very differently. Quinten Hann hastened his demise against Stephen Lee by several times smashing the cue ball into the pack indiscriminately as Lee progressed to an 11-1 lead from his 7-1 overnight advantage.
In his contrary way Hann did apply himself to some degree when it was far too late. He won two of the next three frames but tamely lost the last before lunch to make the evening session redundant.
"When he plays, he's a great player," said Lee of the 24-year-old Australian. "But we were playing for a place in the quarter-finals of the World Championship and he's chucked it away," he added after his 13-3 win had taken him through to play Ronnie O'Sullivan, the defending champion.
Hann said: "Of course I tried but he didn't give me much of a chance. I smashed the pack up [from the break off shot] because I'm trying to pot a red. It's a 50-50 shot. If it goes in, there's a chance of making a break." In contrast Graeme Dott was powerless to prevent a 13-2 steamrollering at the hands of John Higgins.
Trailing 10-0 overnight, Dott did manage to avert a whitewash before Higgins went through to a quarter-final against Matthew Stevens, the 24-year-old Welshman whom he beat 18-16 in last year's semi-finals.
Only Stephen Hendry (seven times) and Steve Davis (six) have won the world title here more than once but Higgins, champion four years ago is clearly going to take some stopping. Eight centuries in his 26 frames so far is an even higher strike rate than his record 14 in winning the 1998 title. He may not make the game look quite so easy if someone stays with him but he is cueing as truly as a man can cue.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - Second round: (3) John Higgins (Sco) bt (14) Graeme Dott (Sco) 13-2 (Frame scores, Dott first: 6-84, 1-79, 30-107 (107), 0-118, 8-125 (101), 22-74, 1-131 (124), 31-69, 8-90, 0-105 (105), 69-35, 30-88, 0-112 (112), 99-0, 1-124); (8) Stephen Lee (Eng) bt Quinten Hann (Aus) 13-3 (Frame scores, Hann first: 6-101, 38-61, 84-26, 33-82, 12-67, 0-136 (136), 1-60, 0-74, 15-120, 21-100, 0-79, 44-72, 64-31, 32-57, 75-8, 1-75); Anthony Hamilton (Eng) bt (2) Mark Williams (Wal) 13-9 (Frame scores, Hamilton first: 70-0, 0-88, 97-0, 83-1, 84-0, 22-77, 47-58, 87-34, 68-60, 20-76, 72-55, 85-1, 5-74, 47-54, 80-38, 59-69, 73-14, 90-36, 73-65, 34-71, 1-78, 70-5).
TODAY"S ORDER OF PLAY
10.0 a.m. - K Doherty v S Hendry; J Higgins v M Stevens; 2.30 p.m. - R O'Sullivan v S Lee; P Ebdon v A Hamilton; 6.45 p.m. - Doherty v Hendry; J Higgins v M Stevens.
