Ebdon quick to progress

SNOOKER

Peter Ebdon last night became the first player to reach the quarter- finals of the Embassy World Championship at The Crucible, Sheffield, after beating Mark Davis 13-7. Now joint second favourite, Ebdon, will play either Willie Thorne or Andy Hicks.

Ronnie O'Sullivan saved himself from potential disaster last night after losing seven successive frames against a determined Darren Morgan in his second-round match. Having conceded the final three frames of the first session to finish at 4-4, he witnessed some of Morgan's best snooker of the season to trail 8-4, but recovered to 8-8 at the end of the final session.

n The inquiry into irregular betting patterns in Jimmy White's first- round defeat of Peter Francisco at the World Championship will reconvene in Manchester on 8 May. Francisco's prize-money will be withheld pending the outcome of the inquiry.