Anthony Hamilton has caused the first major shock of the Embassy World Championships by beating World No2 Mark Williams 13-9 at the Crucible this afternoon.
Hamilton - who started the final session 9-7 ahead - won the first three frames of the afternoon to move five clear, and although Williams pulled it back to 12-9, Hamilton clinched his place against Peter Ebdon in the quarter-finals with a break of 70 in the following frame.
Earlier, John Higgins and Stephen Lee both reached the quarter-finals with a session to spare.
Higgins almost capped off a superb 13-2 win over fellow Scot Graeme Dott with a 147 clearance, while Lee eased to a 13-3 victory over Australia's Quinten Hann.
Higgins will now face Welshman Matthew Stevens - who inflicted a heavy second-round defeat on Jimmy White - in the last eight tomorrow. Meanwhile defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan is waiting for Lee in what should be another exciting match at the Crucible.
Higgins yet again made a flying start, and a break of 90 clinched him the opening frame of the session for a 9-0 lead. He played even better in the next, potting 14 reds and 13 blacks before missing a possible 147 by misjudging his 14th black.
Dott, who has endured an emotionally draining week following the death of May Lambie - wife of manager Alex and the mother of his girlfriend - finally won his first frame of the match in the 11th, but Higgins was soon completing a comfortable victory.
"I played some great snooker. I'm really delighted with the way I played," he said. "I don't feel like I've won two matches because it's been easy. But I know the standards are going to get difficult now, especially playing Matthew.
"I knew I would be playing him now. I knew he would get through, and this is the start of the tournament for me."
Dott heaped praise on Higgins and said: "John's performance was unbelievable. I just could not compete with that - he was too good for me."
Eighth seed Lee was also too good for Hann, who continued with his unconventional break-off shot.
The Melbourne professional smashed the balls up off his break, much like in a game of pool.
"It's nice to get through as easy as that," said Lee. "All I can think of is that I pinched a frame to go 3-1 up yesterday and then I had a fluke to make 136. After that his back was against the wall, and that's the way he reacts."
Speaking about his break-off shot, Hann said: "If the red had gone in I would have had a good chance of winning the frame.
"I don't see it any different to taking on a long, tough shot. If you miss a long, tough shot you are probably going to lose the frame anyway - it's just a gamble."
