20-year old Lu Haotian continues to mark his name alongside numerous Chinese youngsters taking the snooker tour by storm as he added number eight seed Marco Fu to his recent list of scalps.
Quartet of top 16 seeds defeated in surprise afternoon session
The number 104 seed won five consecutive matches on his way to the semi-finals of the Northern Ireland Open last week, reaching that stage for the first time in his career. Three higher-ranked players were defeated on that run and Haotian has already achieved the same feat in the UK Championship this week.
Following victories over Anthony Hamilton and Peter Ebdon, Haotian was ahead from the outset against Fu and secured a 6-4 victory to progress into the last 16 of the competition.
Fu's defeat was just one surprise of many in the afternoon session. Number three seed Judd Trump was leading 2-0 before losing six consecutive frames to former World champion Graeme Dott who manufactured five breaks over 50 in the process.
Fellow top 16 seed, Liang Wenbo, also departed. His contest with Stephen Maguire was close throughout, reflected by the black being respotted in the seventh frame. Yet Maguire held his nerve to win a final frame decider, as Ryan Day did against Northern Ireland Open champion, Mark Williams.
Robertson stunned late into the night
It was business as usual in the evening session for the majority of favourites to progress. Li Hang cruised past Scott Donaldson 6-1, despite the young Scotsman defeating World number one Mark Selby in the previous round.
Joe Perry raced into a 4-0 lead before holding off a brief comeback by Kurt Maflin to win 6-3. Meanwhile, Mark Allen held firm to come out victorious 6-4 against Peter Lines after winning the first three frames.
Yet Neil Robertson could not find a way past the spirited Mark Joyce. Robertson twice pulled ahead, at 1-0 and 4-3, only to be pegged back on both occasions before losing a final frame decider to Joyce.