World Snooker: Judd Trump beats Marco Fu, plays Shaun Murphy in Crucible quarter-finals

Judd Trump: Moves into Crucible quarters

23-year-old Trump, the Crucible runner-up in 2011, held a 6-2 overnight lead, but Fu got back into the match in the middle session and reduced the gap to 9-7 heading into the final portion of their clash on Saturday evening.

Trump regained his best form though to rattle off four frames without reply from the Hong Kong potter to book his place in the last eight of a wide-open competition.

Despite suffering a series of rocky results since winning the International Championship in the autumn, Trump is fancying his chances of landing a first world title this year.

"I think in my first match and the start of this match I felt the best I have done in a long while. I felt very confident," said Trump. "I started to be probably a little too confident against Marco and started taking on too many, and tonight was a bit better, with some good safety.

Trump again voiced his opinion that only a handful of players could stop him winning the title, with Murphy being one of those.

"I'll be prepared for Shaun and it'll be a tough game," he added. "I don't really rate the other players. I think if I play my best game then I'll beat them.

"In my opinion I haven't been playing badly. In the quarter-finals there's only eight players left so I've got a good chance."

As Mark Selby joined the exodus of big names being beaten in Sheffield, Trump agreed with those who believe many players have arrived at the end-of-season World Championship fatigued from their hectic campaigns.

"I don't see them as upsets," Trump said. "Coming into the tournament I felt the people that haven't played as much would do well and the people who have played at every tournament would burn themselves out and that seems to have been the case.

"I was surprised John went out, but the rest of the players didn't really surprise me."

Ronnie O'Sullivan features in the same side of the draw as Trump and Murphy, which could result in a heavyweight semi-final. O'Sullivan finished the first session of his match against Ali Carter, the man he beat in last year's final, with a 5-3 advantage.