First for China As Impressive Liang Holds O'sullivan

Liang Wenbo, who became the first player from mainland China to reaLiang Wenbo, who became the first player from mainland China to reach the last eight of the world championship with a dramatic 13-12 victory over Joe Swail late on Tuesday, was holding Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-4 after the first session of their best-of-25-frames quarter-final here in Sheffield yesterday.

Liang, the former world Under-21 champion, showed no reaction from the previous evening's exertions by running through the first two frames with breaks of 80, 48 and 49 without O'Sullivan potting a ball. The twice world champion concluded the next three with 109, 58 and 71 respectively but Liang regained the lead with 104 and 89 before O'Sullivan's 64 meant they will start their middle session this morning on level terms.

Although it is difficult to imagine O'Sullivan losing, his long potting, an intermittent source of concern these days, was fallible even if his touch and fluency remained top-class when he was in.

Liang, who comes from Harbin almost on the Russian border, is one of five Chinese players who share a house in Sheffield near the English Institute of Sport where they all practice for many hours every day that they are not on the road. "They're all mechanically perfect," O'Sullivan said.

Stephen Hendry, continuing to raise the possibility of an eighth world title at the age of 39, nine years after his seventh, took a stranglehold on the other quarter-final in this half by leading Ryan Day, the new Welsh No1, 7-1 at lunch, although he was disappointed not to pot a middle-distance last red on 112 when the stage appeared to be set for a 147 which would have meant O'Sullivan sharing the £157,000 he is anticipating for his maximum on Tuesday.

Joe Perry outscored Stephen Maguire 403-21 in taking a 4-0 lead but Maguire, winner of this season's Northern Ireland Trophy and China Open, put together a run of four frames to end the day at 4-4.