Former title winners and a qualifier breaking new ground reach UK Championship quarter-finals in York

The round of 16 broke off in the afternoon session and three-time UK Champion Neil Robertson was the first player through following a 6-1 victory over an out-of-sorts Wu Yize.

Newly-minted International Championship winner Wu took a close opening frame with the aid of a 62 break, but Robertson stung together the next six frames in a row - registering runs of 51, 65, 75 and 68 in the process.

Snooker's second-most prestigious ranking event has been a bit of a feast or famine situation for the Australian down the years. Since 2013 - the year of his first UK crown - Robertson has either won the title or been eliminated before the quarter-finals. The world number three will be hoping that statistic continues this year.

Over on the other table, world number 30 Pang Junxu scored one of the biggest wins of his career as he dismissed Mark Williams, 6-3, to make it into the last eight of a Triple Crown event for the first time.

The 25-year-old from China - who had to navigate two rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw in York - went 4-1 up (76 break, frame three) before the legendary Welshman fashioned his second century of the match and then claimed frame seven to close to within one of his opponent.

However, cheered on by his mother in the crowd who is at this tournament watching him live in the UK for the first time, showed brilliant composure and class with efforts of 53 and 116 to advance and set up a date with Robertson.

In the evening session, Judd Trump and Mark Selby advanced.

Reigning and defending champion Trump saw off number 16 seed Si Jiahui, 6-3.

Having produced breaks of 117 and an epic counter clearance of 65 in frame four to pinch it on the black for a 3-1 mid-session lead, world number one Trump then extended his advantage on resumption.

Two-time ranking event finalist Si battled back, though, enjoying his best spell of the tie with runs of 61 and 58 to reduce the gap to one, but his momentum was broken in frame eight with misses and Trump capitalised in getting the two frames he required to cross the line.

Englishman Trump is aiming to become only the second player this century who has successfully defended the UK crown. Ronnie O'Sullivan did this with triumphs in 2017 and 2018.

The final winner of the day was Selby, who ended the campaign of another in-form player, Zhou Yuelong, with a 6-2 verdict.

The recent winner of the Champion of Champions on home soil in Leicester, Selby deposited the opening frame along with a 73. However, he was then frozen out by qualifier Zhou - conqueror of O'Sullivan the day before - as the four-time ranking event finalist crafted breaks of 57 and132 in moving 2-1 ahead.

Selby, though, restored parity before the interval and then controlled proceedings thereafter, threading together another four frames (breaks of 71, 75 and 56) - five in a row in total - to continue in the £1.2 million tournament.

A winner of nine Triple Crown accolades throughout his illustrious career, the last of those came in 2021 for Selby.

Thursday will see the remaining round of 16 fixtures played before quarter-finals Friday, then the one-table set-up at the weekend.

To view the full draw, results, match schedule, and other information from the 2025 UK Championship, visit here.