AARON Hill has reached a ranking event quarter-final for the second time in his professional career after beating Tom Ford 5-3 at the Machineseeker German Masters in Berlin on Thursday evening.
The 22-year-old from Cork added the scalp of the world number 19 from Leicester to those of three-times world champion Mark Williams and Jimmy Robertson and will now face China’s Xiao Guodong on Friday (2pm) with the reward for victory a first-ever semi-final appearance.
After losing the first four frames, Ford made Hill sweat before getting over the line, with breaks of 60, 55 and 58 reducing the deficit to 4-3 before a run of 74 settled the contest in favour of the world number 59.
World number one Judd Trump was beaten 5-2 by Neil Robertson, who will face either Masters champion Shaun Murphy or China’s Yuan Sijun.
World champion Kyren Wilson fought past Jak Jones 5-3 to reach the quarter-finals, where Ricky Walden had withdrawn from his match on Thursday morning having been admitted to hospital with pancreatitis.
In a repeat of the 2024 World Championship final - which Wilson won 18-14 at the Crucible - the opening two frames were shared, with Welshman Jones drawing level after a break of 80.
Wilson then crafted a fine 112 before Jones - who knocked out John Higgins in the last round - got himself in front at 3-2 after a break of 123.
The world champion soon took his game up a level, making 103 before another run of 60 helped see him over the line.
Walden had been set to play Barry Hawkins during Thursday’s morning session at the Tempodrom, but withdrew on medical grounds, the World Snooker Tour said in a short statement.
The PA news agency understands Walden was admitted to hospital on Wednesday evening having become very unwell, and was subsequently diagnosed with pancreatitis. The 42-year-old’s condition was much improved on Thursday evening, but he is expected to remain in hospital for a few days.
Hawkins received a bye into the quarter-finals where he will play Wu Yize, who beat Alexander Ursenbacher 5-2 after making 105 when on a possible maximum break in the last frame.
Elliot Slessor - who edged out Mark Selby in a last-frame decider late on Wednesday night - lost 5-1 to Xiao Guodong, while Scotland’s Anthony McGill saw off Zhang Anda 5-2 to set up a quarter-final against Wilson.
Friday’s quarter-finals
2pm
Kyren Wilson (Eng) v Anthony McGill (Sco)
Aaron Hill (Ire) v Xiao Guodong (Chi)
7pm Wu Yize (Chi) v Barry Hawkins (Eng)
TBC
Neil Robertson (Aus) v Shaun Murphy (Eng) or Yuan Sijun (Chi)
