Shaun Murphy battles back to beat Stuart Bingham in Northern Ireland Open and book quarter-finals spot

Both players had made centuries in the opening two frames, Murphy making 13 reds before missing a tricky cut to the middle and Bingham then drew level after his 121 break.

Bingham further extended his lead, producing a run of 101 in the fourth frame, before Murphy started his fightback to set up a deciding seventh frame, which he edged 69-60.

Elsewhere during Thursday’s afternoon session at Waterfront Hall, world champion Kyren Wilson saw off 18-year-old Stan Moody 4-1 and will go on to meet Mark Williams in the last eight after the veteran Welshman beat China’s Ma Hailong 4-2.

Pang Junxu, who had knocked out 2023 world champion Luca Brecel in the last round, also progressed after a comfortable 4-0 win over England’s Martin O’Donnell.