• Australian Open

Robertson storms into Australian Open quarters

Home favourite Robertson is eyeing up a second ranking event title this year © Getty Images

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Neil Robertson wasted little time in booking his place in the quarter-finals of the Australian Goldfields Open with a thumping 5-0 win over Jamie Jones in Bendigo.

Robertson is looking to win back-to-back titles having triumphed at the Wuxi Classic in China last week and rattled in runs of 103, 86, 140 and 80 during a faultless performance to set up a last eight clash with Robert Milkins. The Englishman defeated four-times world champion John Higgins 5-2 on Tuesday.

"Today was a big improvement from yesterday's match and I'm really pleased with the way I played," A relieved Robertson said. "This is one of the few tournaments I haven't won yet. All I do now is try to improve as a player, and the tournament wins will come.

"On Tuesday night I didn't fall asleep until 5am, but last night I slept better and I felt much fresher today. Hopefully there will be a big crowd in for my quarter-final cheering me on."

Former World champion Robertson is joined in the next round by Judd Trump after he defeated Alan MacManus on Thursday. The Scot rallied after losing the first three frames but couldn't muster the faculty thereafter to complete a remarkable turnaround as suffered a break of 107 in the eighth to lose 5-3.

Trump is playing in the event for the first time in three years and will now face Ricky Walden for a place in the semi-finals. Walden, who is a two-time ranking event winner, overcame the challenge of Wuxi semi-finalist Martin Gould while China's Xiao Guodong edged past Peter Ebdon.

The quarter-final line-up is completed by 2011 winner Stuart Bingham, who conquered Mark Joyce, and Mark Davis after he saw off Shaun Murphy.

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