2024 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters: Trio of World Champions advance to last eight

Judd Trump, Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy all won their last 16 matches at the Green Halls and they'll be joined by world number 35 Xiao Guodong in the final eight, who has guaranteed the biggest payday of his professional career, so far.

On the main TV table, world number one Trump dispatched good friend Jack Lisowski, 6-1.

Trump - who conjured up an extraordinary comeback during his opening assignment in round five on Tuesday - began his latest tie in style, claiming the first frame with a break of 126.

Playing in his fourth match of the event, Lisowski levelled with frame two, but there were unforced errors from him during the contest which were capitalised on by his dangerous-looking opponent.

A five-frame winning streak from Trump, highlighted by breaks of 66, 63, 61, 115 & 105 - those century breaks arriving in consecutive frames at the end - put him through with ease.

The 28-time ranking event winner Trump is now on 996 professional career centuries, and could be the second player in the history of the sport to reach the 1,000 landmark, ahead of the already eliminated John Higgins who is stuck on 998.

In what is a mouth-watering last eight clash to look forward to, Trump will face a resurgent Robertson who top scored with runs of 141 and 95 in a 6-1 victory over Gary Wilson.

Australia’s Robertson has not reached a ranking event final since April 2022 and has slipped outside of the world's top 16, but the 2010 World Champion appears to be getting back to something like his best form.

Winner of the last ranking event to be held in the Middle East at the 2008 Bahrain Championship, Robertson has won his four matches in the Saudi capital city with an aggregate frame score of 20-6.

Coming into this competition, Murphy was positioned 24th on the provisional end-of-season list, but 'The Magician' is starting to alleviate his ranking worries with at least £50,000 earned for his place in the quarter-finals.

Murphy ended the run of world number 42 Elliot Slessor, 6-3, notching up breaks of 93, 111, 50, 87, 89, 58 and 80 during the encounter.

In the two of the three frames Slessor secured, he crafted contributions of 127 and 134.

Xiao showed his class as he ousted Scott Donaldson 6-5 in the final result of the afternoon.

The opening four frames were shared, but on resumption after the mid-session interval, world number 50 Donaldson put daylight between the two at 4-2 up.

Chinese cueist Xiao responded with a duo of frames of his own, although Donaldson reached the hill first at 5-4.

However, two-time ranking event finalist Xiao forced a deciding frame, and after Donaldson failed to pot a difficult long red with his first shot in frame 11, Xiao fully punished with a cool 123 break to get across the line. It was the only time in the match that Xiao had been in front in frames.

On Thursday, Xiao faces Murphy for a spot in the semi-finals.

For the draw, results and other important details, please visit our 2024 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters Tournament Information Centre, here.