Three-time Crucible champion Mark Williams was knocked out of the World Championship by Luca Brecel while the exit door also beckons for 2010 winner Neil Robertson.
Williams had carved out a 6-4 lead over Brecel by taking the first two frames on Friday morning, but the Belgian found another gear with breaks of 113, 100, 66 and 80 seeing him rattle off five frames in succession.
That gave Brecel a 9-6 lead with one to play and he seemed set to cap a dream session only to break down on 51, opening the door for a Williams counterpunch as the Welshman registered a gutsy 81 to draw within two.
In the evening session, a 71 break stretched Brecel's lead to 10-7 and although Williams responded with a 67 to again close within two frames, the Belgian hit the highest break of the match, a 117, to restore his three-frame advantage.
Williams showed his characteristic never-say-die spirit with a three-frame burst to level matters at 11-11, capitalising on some nervy play from his opponent, but Brecel pulled himself together with runs of 84 and 67 to close out the match in style.
Brecel had never won a match at the Crucible before this year's tournament but progresses to the quarter-finals, where he will face the winner of the encounter between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Hossein Vafaei, which the 'Rocket' leads 6-2.
Williams became the the third former world champion to bow out inside the tournament’s first week, following Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy.
While world number 10 Brecel's victory can be classed as a minor shock, Friday night's other match threatens a huge upset with Crucible debutant Jak Jones surging into a 10-6 lead over Robertson.
Welshman Jones hit breaks of 122 and 52 to go 3-0 up but Robertson fought back to level the morning session at 4-4. Jones produced an inspired evening session, taking six of the opening seven frames before Robertson kept his hopes alive by taking the last.
Related snooker links
- World Championship draw and schedule
- World Championship daily best bets
- Crucible betting preview
- World Championship: Expert picks
- Three qualifiers to watch
- Neal Foulds' top 16 profiles
- Ronnie on his documentary
- Neil Robertson hoping to learn from Ronnie
- Perfect Snooker Player
- Snooker's GOAT: O'Sullivan by the numbers
- O'Sullivan: One of a kind
- History of snooker's number ones
- Watch all the Crucible 147 breaks
- History of 147 breaks
- Crucible memories: Ronnie's finest hour
- Crucible memories: Higgins denies Trump
- Crucible memories: White a People's Champion
- Crucible memories: Johnson stuns Davis
- Crucible memories: Foulds' dream debut
