Snooker

Day 11 - The morning session:

Judd Trump roared into a 6-0 lead over Ding Junhui with some clinical breakbuilding and excellent safety play.
The man from China was struggling to get much table time and even when he did get in first he broke down and Trump cleared up. Salvation came in the last two frames as Ding bravely clinched them both to trail 6-2 going into the evening session.

Shaun Murphy looked in ominous touch to lead 3-1 against Anthony McGill. However when the Scot won a tactical exchange in frame 5 the match turned as he surged into a 4-3 lead with some fine breaks. Under pressure Murphy held himself together to square matters at 4-4 before the evening resumption of play.

The Afternoon:
Ronnie O'Sullivan started off his quarter final against Stuart Bingham in glorious fashion compiling a flawless 116 break.
Bingham was not to be deterred though and toughed it out to emerge with a 5-3 lead as O'Sullivan rather lost his way after that.

Barry Hawkins made an impressive start against the in form Aussie Neil Robertson. Despite trailing 3-1 to a Robertson break surge the Englishman was not put off and reeled off a series of frame winning breaks himself to rattle off 4 frames in a row and win the session 5-3.

The Evening:
Judd Trump continued his relentless march towards the semi finals starting and finishing the session with a century break with some other frame winning contributions in between.
Ding Junhui was powerless to stop the Bristolian as he converted a 6-2 lead into 12-4 overnight.
Just one frame required for victory.

Shaun Murphy saw his attempt to break away from Anthony McGill thwarted as the canny Scot demonstrated impeccable patience and shot selection in the first mini session to stifle Murphy's attacking game. At the interval it was 6-6.
Murphy found an extra gear after the break to forge into a 9-6 lead but McGill crucially took the concluding frame of the day with an 86 break to only trail by 2 frames at 7-9 down.

Impressive from Trump. Hoping McGill can make it through.

Seems Ronnie won't face any action for chalkgate

Breaking news: Ronnie O'Sullivan is OUT!!.
Beaten 13-9 by Stuart Bingham.

Bingham to face Judd Trump in the semi finals.
A full review of the day to follow later.

Urgh. Bingham. I'm not really a fan of Ronnie- find him to be an obnoxious egomaniac, but he would be FAR preferential to dull Bingham. We can only hope Robertson knocks out another of the (admittedly, technically decent) charisma-free zones- Barry Hawkins. With the disgusting twat Murphy already through, and Judd 'Burger King' Trump likewise, Robertson is my only hope for the tournament.

Compared to my opinion of Murphy, that ranks as a generous tribute

I think perhaps I'm the only one who does not dislike any of the players left in .
This being said I don't necessarily like them either .

Quite ambivalent about any of them winning tbh.
The quality of snooker is excellent though.

Hawkins v Robertson into a deciding frame at 12-12

I'm watching the ref trying to replace the cueball after a miss, and I've had an idea. Why not set up an overhead projector that can beam an image of the original ball positions straight down onto the table, then they could get it exactly right every time.

Semi Final matches - best of 33 frames:

Shaun Murphy v Barry Hawkins
Judd Trump v Stuart Bingham

Day 12:

The Morning session:
Judd Trump needed just the one frame to complete a comprehensive 13-4 win over hapless Ding Junhui

Barry Hawkins extended his 5-3 lead to 7-3 and looked in pole position to cement his advantage. But just as Hawkins had a four frame winning streak in the first session Robertson produced a four frame burst of his own to level at 7-7.
As it turned out the 15th frame dragged on for over an hour as both men desperately tried to grab the initiative.
Eventually it was Hawkins who clinched it on the blue to take a slender 1 frame lead from a session that had to finish early to allow the afternoon play to commence on time.

The Afternoon:
Ronnie O'Sullivan was in need of a big session trailing 3-5 to Stuart Bingham. However Bingham knocked in a sensational 145 break to start proceedings and lay down a marker.
O'Sullivan was not deterred though and reeled off 3 successive frames to level at 6-6. The 'Rocket' then led 7-6 and 8-7 but Bingham crucially won a terrific last frame to leave the match poised for a thrilling finish this evening.

Shaun Murphy progressed to the semi finals with an ultimately comfortable 13-8 victory over Anthony McGill.
Despite McGill clinching the opening frame of the day that was to be as good as it got for him as Murphy then took the next four frames and seal a last four spot ten years on from his triumph in 2005.

The Evening:
Stuart Bingham won five frames in a row from 9-8 down to seal a memorable 13-9 triumph over Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Bingham was clinical in the balls and demonstrated ruthless composure to send the 'Rocket' crashing out of the championship and in so doing denying O'Sullivan a shot at a sixth Crucible title in 2015.
Bingham will now face Judd Trump in the semi finals.

The last quarter final was match of the round between Barry Hawkins and Neil Robertson.
The Aussie made a magnificent 141 break to level at 8-8.
Hawkins responded superbly with two successive centuries of his own. Robertson then countered that with breaks of 90, 65 and 142 to lead 11-10. Back came Hawkins with a 76 and a 109 to lead 12-11 before a determined Robertson sent the match into a deciding frame.
Nerves jangling for both men in the final frame but Hawkins it was who held his nerve to win one of the best Crucible matches of all time.
Shame there had to be a loser in a quite outstanding match.

The semi final draw:

BARRY HAWKINS V SHAUN MURPHY

STUART BINGHAM V JUDD TRUMP