In-form Xiao Guodong whitewashes Aaron Hill at German Masters
A fine week for Cork's Aaron Hill at the German Masters in Berlin was ended in emphatic fashion by Xiao Guodong, with the Chinese player racing to a 5-0 victory to set up a semi-final showdown against world champion Kyren Wilson.
Hill dispatched Mark Williams, Jimmy Robertson and Tom Ford in the earlier rounds at the Tempodrom to reach the second ranking quarter-final of his burgeoning career, but the 22-year-old couldn't live with an opponent in devastating form at the penultimate stage of the tournament.
Xiao turned professional in 2007, but consistency and a ranking title proved elusive until this season.
The Chongqing cueman landed the Wuhan Open in October and has now reached four semi-finals in the current campaign after breaks of 75, 95, 113 and 114 saw him advance with ease.
Wilson's quarter-final was a far closer affair, with the 33-year-old edging out Anthony McGill 5-4 in another high-quality contest which featured nine breaks over 50.