World number one Mark Selby returned to form in style as he whitewashed Neil Robertson 4-0 to advance through to the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix.
The ‘Jester from Leicester’ went into Thursday’s clash short of form as he only scraped through his first-round match against Jimmy Robertson 4-3.
But he turned on the style against his Australian opponent, racking up a break of 134 in the first frame before seeing out the match in convincing fashion.
Selby admitted he hit the ground running early against Robertson and believes his struggles in the opening round actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
“I seemed to stamp my authority on the match from the start,” Selby told ITV.
“I have pride in my performance and if I’m not playing well I do get down on myself. I think yesterday’s performance was a kick up the backside.”
The reigning world champion will now face Welshman Michael White in the quarter-finals on Friday after he also eased his way into the last eight following a 4-0 victory of his own against Joe Perry.
White has proven to be a difficult opponent for Selby in recent times. He has won the last three meetings between the pair including their showdown at this season’s Paul Hunter Classic.
However, Selby is priced at 1.33 to win the match while White is available at 3.20. The day’s other quarter-final will see Ding Junhui take on Anthony McGill after they both won their second-round matches 4-1 on Thursday against Mark Joyce and Stuart Bingham respectively.
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