World Snooker Championship 2015: Quarter-Final Scores, Results, Schedule, Draw

Ronnie O’Sullivan—a five-time winner at the iconic Crucible venue—joined Mark Selby in making a shock exit from the World Snooker Championship.

O'Sullivan exited at the quarter-final stage, meaning both favourites for the title are now gone.

Read on for updates from the tournament after an engrossing set of quarter-final ties.

Wednesday Updates

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Stuart Bingham 13-9 Ronnie O'Sullivan

Ronnie O'Sullivan made a surprise exit from this year's World Snooker Championship on Wednesday evening after Stuart Bingham racked up a five-frame winning streak to close out the tie.

Five-time world champion O'Sullivan came into the evening session with the score level at eight frames apiece, but his body language suggested he wasn't entirely in a winning state of mind.

Having made the final for the last three years in Sheffield, the 39-year-old has now failed to make the last four for the first time since 2011, although Bingham fully deserved to progress.

O'Sullivan initially showed a renewed sense of determination on Wednesday as he stormed back to level the score 8-8 against Bingham, having trailed 5-3 at the end of Tuesday's session.

Bingham couldn't have sent a much clearer statement on intent as he dominated the ninth frame with a break of 145 to astonish the Crucible crowd. However, O'Sullivan managed to record four of the five total 50-plus breaks from Wednesday's afternoon session to level at 8-8.

If O'Sullivan cast an enthusiastic figure in the afternoon, he must have used up a great majority of whatever energy he had for the quarter-final tie, showing touches of complacency and avoidable errors in the evening.

The No. 2 seed did manage to take the first frame of the session and lead 9-8, but Bingham took the driver's seat from that point, notching five frames in a row to triumph 13-9.

The Basildon native notched breaks of 74, 88, 51, 85 and 66 to finish off O'Sullivan and clinch one of the biggest results of his career. He is now poised to face Judd Trump in his semi-final.

Out of form or not, O'Sullivan's mood will have no effect on Bingham, as he lapped up a place in the final four, ready to do battle with one of the remaining tournament favourites.

Barry Hawkins 13-12 Neil Robertson

Barry Hawkins became the last name to book his place in the semi-finals on Wednesday, edging his way past Neil Robertson with a terrific 13-12 result.

The pair endured a frantic tug of war throughout their encounter, a dynamic which held until the very end, as the biggest margin to separate the two at any point was two frames.

ProSnookerBlog confirmed that Hawkins' win also saw the Englishman maintain his recent streak of semi-final appearances at the Sheffield showcase:

"

Fist pump from Hawkins, he's through to his third successive semi-final at the Crucible, knocks out Neil Robertson in a classic.. 13-12.

— Matt (@ProSnookerBlog) April 29, 2015"

Hawkins initially took a narrow one-frame lead over Robertson into the third and final session of their quarter-final match. The Englishman led 8-7 after a fascinating but error-strewn second session on Wednesday. 

Hawkins came into Wednesday's proceedings with a 5-3 lead, and a 108 break in the first frame of the day moved him 6-3 ahead.

The Australian looked somewhat out of sorts as he lost another frame to move 7-3 behind. However, Robertson then won four frames on the bounce to draw back level, producing a wonderful 130 break to make it 7-7.

The 15th—and eventually final—frame of the session became bogged down in an early safety battle and eventually dragged on to well over an hour, the longest of the tournament so far.

Hawkins finally won it to grab a narrow but potentially vital lead.

Despite the close circumstances of the match leading up to Wednesday's evening session, the first frame back was anything but, as Robertson hit home a 141 clearance to climb back level at 8-8.

The match featured an odd inconsistency about it, though, as both Hawkins and Robertson showed their cracks, and it seemed a case of who could simply show fewer mistakes.

Robertson had his chances in the next two frames but slipped back into a two-frame deficit as Hawkins surged ahead 10-8, hitting centuries in each of the 17th and 18th frames. Then it came Robertson's turn to do the mopping up, however, and he rallied to win three frames on the bounce, the last of which featured a 142 clearance.

Snooker Room posted footage of the Australian's superb score under pressure, again outlining the up-and-down nature of his performance:

"

Neil Robertson 142 v Barry Hawkins QF 2015 World Championship: http://t.co/4o5QIfiqDg на @YouTube

— SnookerRoom (@SnookerRoom) April 29, 2015"

Hawkins responded by winning three of the last four frames, proceeding to clinch his berth in the final four, but he won't be able to count on Shaun Murphy making the same mistakes Robertson did.

As a result, the World Snooker Championship will also feature an all-English final for the fourth year in succession, with John Higgins having been the last to break up that monopoly in 2011.

Ding Junhui 4-13 Judd Trump

Judd Trump needed just one opportunity to seal his path through to the 2015 semi-finals, as he completed a 13-4 rout of Ding Junhui.

The 25-year-old needed just one frame to advance to his third Crucible semi in the morning session, having dominated his Chinese opponent for much of the match to move 12-4 ahead.

Ding was the first in the balls but missed a black off the spot to allow Trump the opportunity to finish the match. Trump took it with both hands, continuing his fine form and making a frame- and match-winning break of 66.

It was an impressive display from Trump, whose bravura brand of snooker has always been entertaining. But he has come on leaps and bounds in his safety play and provided an all-round performance against Ding.

He will be a tough opponent for Stuart Bingham, whom he now awaits in the last four.

Ding, once again, leaves the Crucible early—he has only gone past the quarter-finals once—but was convincingly outplayed on this occasion by a rampant Trump. 

Shaun Murphy 13-8 Anthony McGill

Scotland's hope of producing this year's world snooker champion came crumbling down at the Crucible on Wednesday, as Anthony McGill could win only one more frame after resuming action against Shaun Murphy.

No. 8 seed Murphy held a 9-7 lead from the previous session, but McGill did give himself a lifeline after kicking off the Wednesday evening clash as he ended the last, taking the first frame with a 95 break.

It was all downhill from there, though, and Murphy kicked off a four-frame winning streak with his own clearance of 72 and eventually ended the dream of tournament debutant McGill.

As pointed out by BBC Snooker, the win saw Murphy end his six-year barren patch of not featuring in the World Championship semi-finals, this being the fourth time in his career to make the last four: "Scottish challenge over. Shaun Murphy beats Anthony McGill 13-8 to reach semis of World Championship for first time since 2009."

McGill can certainly be proud of his accomplishment at making it to the last eight in his maiden expedition at the World Championship, having beaten top-seeded Mark Selby and countryman Stephen Maguire en route.

He'll now be a name for opponents to be far more wary of in the years to come, but Murphy was wise enough to his act this time around and will deservedly face Barry Hawkins in the semis.

Tuesday Updates

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Stuart Bingham 5-3 Ronnie O'Sullivan

Ronnie O'Sullivan trails Stuart Bingham by two frames after the first interval, but things could have been far worse for the Rocket after he escaped punishment for a controversial incident in the fifth frame.

Tied at 2-2, O'Sullivan used a piece of chalk to measure a gap, which is against snooker regulations and should have resulted in a penalty. The official didn't spot the transgression, however, and the Rocket got away with it.

BBC Snooker shared an image of the incident: "World Snooker will investigate the 'O'Sullivan chalk' incident at end of the session, says Hazel Irvine on @BBCTwo pic.twitter.com/NPKR0wZYFC."

The event organisers told BBC Sport they would investigate the incident, but as it wasn't punished during play, there is little that can be done.

Bingham didn't let the incident mess with his head, however. O'Sullivan had a blazing start to the match, winning the opening frame with a break of 116, but Bingham displayed his great ability on the safety shots in the next two frames, building a one-frame lead.

O'Sullivan scored another century to tie things up before winning the controversial fifth frame, but then it was Bingham's turn to shine. He won the last three frames, each after close back-and-forth battles, to go into the second session with a two-frame lead.

The Rocket was visibly frustrated when he left the table after struggling in the final two frames, and if he can't find his concentration again in the second session, his bid to win a sixth world title may end with a quarter-final exit.

Barry Hawkins 5-3 Neil Robertson

O'Sullivan isn't the only tournament favourite in danger of missing out on a spot in the semi-finals, as 2010 world champion Neil Robertson trails Barry Hawkins 5-3 after an incredible first session.

The Australian took a 3-1 lead, showcasing his incredible form, before Hawkins shifted gears to win four straight frames. Robertson didn't manage to pot a single ball after the mid-session interval, via Live Snooker:

"

The 2013 finalist rattles off more than 400 unanswered points to shell-shock the 2010 World Champion prior to their resumption tomorrow.

— Live Snooker (@Livesnooker) April 28, 2015

"

Hawkins' break-building was simply sublime, and he didn't take any unnecessary risks, playing several great safety shots to keep Robertson away from the table.

The 36-year-old didn't manage a single century, but the way he kept Robertson seated for the bulk of the afternoon meant he didn't have to. The Thunder from Down Under isn't used to watching his opponent play this much, and he clearly grew more uncomfortable as the afternoon wore on.

Heading into the second session, he may have to start taking some risks on long pots if Hawkins' sensational form keeps up.

Judd Trump 12-4 Ding Junhui

Judd Trump’s effervescent style of play makes him one of the most entertaining and popular players on the circuit, but he made a massive statement of intent by taking a 12-4 lead over Ding Junhui on Tuesday. The youngster will need to win just one more frame on Wednesday to qualify for the semi-finals.

The left-hander was magnificent in the opening exchanges between these bright young players, showcasing his ability to construct breaks, play astute safety shots and remain composed under pressure. Breaks of 54, 82, 94 and 108 were a joy to behold from the 2011 runner-up as he surged into a 6-0 lead.

As noted by professional player Michael Holt, Trump was in the groove at this juncture:

"

There's not a player in the game that can't learn from @judd147t attitude. Absolutely brilliant. #TopDrawerDuck

— Michael Holt (@hitmanholt) April 28, 2015"

Credit must go to Ding, however. Despite sitting in his chair for the majority of the first quarter-final session, he was able to give himself a late foothold in the match, winning a tightly contested seventh frame before an excellent break of 72 saw the Chinese potter reduce the deficit to just four.

Trump continued his dominance during the evening session, potting an astounding 93 percent of his shots and nearly outscoring Ding 2-to-1. With a high break of 127, he showed both his class and excellent form on a day where most favourites struggled to build their breaks.

The 25-year-old will be among the favourites for the title regardless of the results of the other quarter-finals, but if both O'Sullivan and Robertson lose their quarter-final matches, the championship should be his to lose.

Shaun Murphy 9-7 Anthony McGill

Shaun Murphy was finally able to put some distance between himself and qualifier Anthony McGill during the evening session and leads 9-7 heading into Wednesday's action.

Murphy has been in superb form at the Crucible so far, and he started this match with the kind of poise you would expect from a former winner. The 2005 champion rattled in breaks of 100 and 125 in his opening two frames to go 2-0 up, leaving the 24-year-old looking a little shell-shocked in his chair.

As noted by Matt of ProSnookerBlog, chasing the game represents an entirely different prospect for the young Scot:

"

Breaks of 100 and 125 to open from Shaun Murphy, a different test for Anthony early on having led much of his other two matches.

— Matt (@ProSnookerBlog) April 28, 2015"

But to his credit, McGill clung in there as the score moved on to 3-1 before easing through the gears after the mid-session interval.

The youngster won three frames in succession thanks to breaks of 66, 89 and 65 to retake the lead, seizing the initiative from Murphy, who seemed a little rattled by the youngster’s renaissance. However, Murphy showed his class to grind out the eighth frame, tying things up at the end of the session.

The evening session started in similar fashion, with the Scot showing plenty of poise with his long potting. The two traded blows, but with McGill carrying a 6-5 advantage, Murphy shifted gears.

Winning four consecutive frames, Murphy seemed to be cruising to a four-frame lead as McGill started making mistake after mistake. But once again, the qualifier showed his class, rallying in the final frame to reduce the deficit to just two frames as the duo heads for their final session.