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STEPHEN Maguire overcame both an error strewn performance and Mark King 6-3 to book his place in the quarter finals of the Masters here at Wembley.
It was King though, who got the better start as pinched an edgy opening frame, and swiftly went 2-0 up with the help of a 78 break. But Mark's problem has never been his potting - it has been avoiding unforced errors. And those errors were a plenty in the third frame as chance after chance went begging. Maguire was finding it difficult to capitalise himself as he needed three bites of the cherry to take the third. Holding a 42-18 advantage the Scotsman only made sure of it when he clipped a long red into the top pocket and scored a decisive 21 to finally open his account.
Still King was having his opportunities, and was in prime position in the fourth frame when he managed to miss a black off it's spot. Maguire this time punished him by rattling in a break of 121 to level at 2-2 at the interval.
King must have been furious with himself at the chances he was missing. In truth he should have been 4-0 up rather than level. But it was Mark who turned the tables on Maguire on the resumption as when Maguire broke down on 45 it was Mark who capitalised on the mistake by stroking in a straight red and compiled a break of 51 to steal the frame and put him 3-2 in front.
Surreal, is probably the best adjective to sum up the sixth frame as both players seemed to be throwing it backwards and forwards like a tennis ball. But with one red left on the table it was King who looked set to lead 4-2, and Maguire needed a snooker. And it was Stephen who forced the key mistake from the Englishman as he left the cue ball hidden behind the pink with the yellow close to the corner pocket. King's attempt to swerve the cue ball round the pink ended in failure as he missed the yellow but ended up leaving the cue ball in prime position behind it. Maguire grabbed his chance and cleared with 27 to level at 3-3. It was the pivotal moment- and Mark's chance had passed then and there.
King had a glorious chance to respond in frame seven but blew it with poor positional play when on a break of 30. To compound it he then played a bad safety shot - catching a red too thinly, leaving the cue ball in mid table and Maguire on a straight red to the centre. Heartened by his double let off Maguire calmly and patiently stroked in a break of 78- and for the first time in the match he lead 4-3.
From there King wilted as Maguire took full advantage of his opponant's frailties by drilling in a long red to the top corner pocket. The Scotsman, now warming to his task and playing with increasing confidence rolled in a break of 87 - faltering on the final red down the side cushion to lead 5-3.
King must have been wondering how he had let this match slip though his fingers from a strong position. But as has been said, if you don't take your chances when they present themselves to you the balls never forgive you. His fate though was sealed minutes later as King after potting a mid range red saw the cue ball disappear into the centre pocket. With the cue ball in hand Maguire powered in a long red from the baulk line to the top cushion and cleared up with 92 to the pink to run out the winner.
Bad news though for Maguire's fellow Scot, Stephen Hendry who was ousted 6-4 by former world champion Shaun Murphy, who now plays Stephen Maguire for a place in the semi finals.
Suzy Jardine
It was King though, who got the better start as pinched an edgy opening frame, and swiftly went 2-0 up with the help of a 78 break. But Mark's problem has never been his potting - it has been avoiding unforced errors. And those errors were a plenty in the third frame as chance after chance went begging. Maguire was finding it difficult to capitalise himself as he needed three bites of the cherry to take the third. Holding a 42-18 advantage the Scotsman only made sure of it when he clipped a long red into the top pocket and scored a decisive 21 to finally open his account.
Still King was having his opportunities, and was in prime position in the fourth frame when he managed to miss a black off it's spot. Maguire this time punished him by rattling in a break of 121 to level at 2-2 at the interval.
King must have been furious with himself at the chances he was missing. In truth he should have been 4-0 up rather than level. But it was Mark who turned the tables on Maguire on the resumption as when Maguire broke down on 45 it was Mark who capitalised on the mistake by stroking in a straight red and compiled a break of 51 to steal the frame and put him 3-2 in front.
Surreal, is probably the best adjective to sum up the sixth frame as both players seemed to be throwing it backwards and forwards like a tennis ball. But with one red left on the table it was King who looked set to lead 4-2, and Maguire needed a snooker. And it was Stephen who forced the key mistake from the Englishman as he left the cue ball hidden behind the pink with the yellow close to the corner pocket. King's attempt to swerve the cue ball round the pink ended in failure as he missed the yellow but ended up leaving the cue ball in prime position behind it. Maguire grabbed his chance and cleared with 27 to level at 3-3. It was the pivotal moment- and Mark's chance had passed then and there.
King had a glorious chance to respond in frame seven but blew it with poor positional play when on a break of 30. To compound it he then played a bad safety shot - catching a red too thinly, leaving the cue ball in mid table and Maguire on a straight red to the centre. Heartened by his double let off Maguire calmly and patiently stroked in a break of 78- and for the first time in the match he lead 4-3.
From there King wilted as Maguire took full advantage of his opponant's frailties by drilling in a long red to the top corner pocket. The Scotsman, now warming to his task and playing with increasing confidence rolled in a break of 87 - faltering on the final red down the side cushion to lead 5-3.
King must have been wondering how he had let this match slip though his fingers from a strong position. But as has been said, if you don't take your chances when they present themselves to you the balls never forgive you. His fate though was sealed minutes later as King after potting a mid range red saw the cue ball disappear into the centre pocket. With the cue ball in hand Maguire powered in a long red from the baulk line to the top cushion and cleared up with 92 to the pink to run out the winner.
Bad news though for Maguire's fellow Scot, Stephen Hendry who was ousted 6-4 by former world champion Shaun Murphy, who now plays Stephen Maguire for a place in the semi finals.
Suzy Jardine