91Èȱ¬

Shaun Murphy beat Graeme Dott 13-11 to reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship at the Crucible.

With the game level at 10-10, Murphy gained a crucial lead on a re-spotted black before closing out the match.

In the morning session, play was temporarily held up when Dott suffered several static shocks at the table.

After the Scot complained to the match referee, the players took an early interval while an official sprayed water on the carpet around the table.

Murphy appeared to be untroubled by the static problem but 2006 champion Dott seemed to be affected whenever he had to play shots from close to the cushion.

"I've had it before, 10 years ago when I played Mark King in Ireland," Dott said afterwards. Today I was getting little ones constantly but the big ones were quite strong.

"Once they watered the floor I got the occasional shock but it was mostly fine."

It did not seem to affect his game too much as he fought back from a 6-2 overnight deficit to win six of the eight frames in the session to level the match at 8-8.

In the evening session, the two players exchanged frames before 2005 champion Murphy won the 21st frame after the scores were tied at 52-52.

He won the next frame with a break of 53 to establish a two-frame lead.

Although Dott fought back to win the next frame, Murphy clinched the victory in the 24th to secure a place in the last eight for the first time since 2010.

"I'm relieved because it went very close," he said. "Even at 6-2 I knew he'd have a run at me because he's that kind of player.

"Finishes like that are great fun. That's the whole point of being a snooker player, those moments there. I've lost my fair share of late-night Crucible matches and it's nice to come through one of them."

World number one Mark Selby will resume on Saturday afternoon with a 9-7 lead over Barry Hawkins.

Selby, who lost 10-3 to Hawkins in the first round last year at the Crucible when struggling with a neck injury, hit breaks of 98 and 103 to help him to a 5-3 lead after the morning session.

Hawkins, ranked 14, pulled level at 6-6 before losing the next three frames. However, he hit a break of 59 to win the evening's final frame.