Former world champion Shaun Murphy moved into the last 16 of the 2024 event with an impressive performance to beat China’s Lyu Haotian 10-5 on Monday at the Crucible.
Murphy, the 2005 winner, was 6-3 ahead after Sunday’s first session and won four of the next seven frames to set up a tie with Scotland’s Stephen Maguire.
Another former Crucible champion, Stuart Bingham, held a 4-0 lead against 10th seed Gary Wilson with five frames of that session remaining.
That match will be played to a finish in the evening session (19:00 BST).
Eighth seed Murphy made a break of 111 in the last frame on Sunday and won Monday’s first frame on the black before a 70 break gave him a convincing 8-3 advantage.
Lyu, ranked 26th in the world, edged a tight 12th frame, but Murphy’s break of 55 left him one frame away from victory.
Bingham, who lifted the trophy in 2015, has dropped to 29th in the world rankings after a tough couple of seasons. He had to battle through two qualifying rounds – fighting back from 7-3 down to beat Stuart Carrington in his first match – to get to the Crucible.
But he dominated the first mini session against Wilson, who won two ranking events in 2023-23, the Scottish Open and Welsh Open. Bingham made breaks of 98 and 53 to leave another seed in the top half of the draw in trouble.
Last year’s champion Luca Brecel lost to David Gilbert on the opening day, ninth seed Ali Carter was beaten by Maguire on Sunday and four-time champion Mark Selby is in danger as he trails 7-2 against fellow Leicester player and friend Joe O’Connor, with that match resuming at 14:00.
Three-time champion Mark Williams starts his campaign on Monday afternoon, facing last year’s semi-finalist Si Jiahui of China. A Williams win would set up an all-Welsh tie in the last 16 against Jak Jones, who defeated Chinese 11th seed Zhang Anda on Sunday.
In the evening session, world number 16 Robert Milkins takes on China’s Pang Junxu, with the winner of that one facing Gilbert in the last 16.
