Masters snooker: Stuart Bingham beats Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-4

Bingham has yet to show the same form that catapulted him to victory in this event 12 months ago, but the early part of this match, at least, suggested he could yet mount another bold title bid if things fall into place.

The 2015 world champion made five breaks of over 50 in the afternoon – including a faultless century in frame three - but he was left looking over his shoulder when Thepchaiya reeled off three frames on the spin to reduce his arrears from 5-1 to 5-4, before Bingham held his nerve to close out the match.

Bingham was quickly into his work as breaks of 63 and 114 allowed him to race into a 3-0 lead, and even when Thepchaiya finally got a frame on the board to trail 3-1 at the mid-session interval, the latter appeared to be making too many unforced errors to make a contest of it.

That certainly looked to be the case when Bingham won frame five with a run of 95, and he found himself 5-1 in front moments later after more loose play from Thepchaiya cost him a sixth frame he really ought to have had in safe keeping.

Still, as is his way, the Thai left-hander kept attacking and he found some rhythm when putting together a hand of 68 in the seventh frame before following up with breaks of 80 and 113 to leave Bingham visibly concerned in his chair.

However, Thepchaiya was unable to capitalise on a Bingham mistake early in frame 10 and the reigning champion held himself together to secure his place in the quarter-finals.

Bingham told Eurosport afterwards: "The way he came back, it was unbelievable. I was a bit jittery at the end; I miscued there, but the reds opened up and luckily I fell onto a red in the middle.

"I've been playing ok, I still need to sharpen up on a coupe things. I've been scoring well, I feel good and my long potting was good today. I'm in the next round and that's all you can hope for."

Bingham will next face Shaun Murphy, who beat Mark Williams 6-4.

Though Williams produced both centuries, each of them 108, it was Murphy who took the tight frames, notably the fourth and then the last on the black.

It was on such fine margins that this game of two slightly out-of-sorts former world champions was decided and puts Murphy one win away from his first semi-final since the European Masters at the start of the season.