WHEN Ronnie O’Sullivan publicly states that Kyren Wilson will one day be world champion, then you know there’s logic to it.

Well all the signs were there in the offering today (Sunday) as the Kettering potter enjoyed his best ever performance at the Crucible to be on the verge of the World Championship quarter-finals.

Kyren Wilson. Picture by Monique Limbos

O’Sullivan tweeted the remark about Wilson during the climax of his gripping first round win over Joe Perry. But that for Wilson will now seem a long time ago after hr dominated the opening stages of his last 16 tie against Mark Allen.

Wilson, who earlier this season won his first major ranking title in Shanghai, once led the Ulsterman 7-0 before ending a very satisfactory day 11-5 ahead at the close of the second session.

He now stands just two frames from meeting world number one Mark Selby in the last eight of snooker’s biggest competition. Selby dug deep late on Saturday night to beat Sam Baird 13-11 to reach the quarter-finals.

However, the day was not so good for Judd Trump who, as he did in the first round, will have to come back from behind to reach the next round after falling 10-6 adrift of Ding Junhui.

Judd Trump. Picture by Monique Limbos

Trump, who came from behind to Liang Wenbo in the opening round, will have to produce another memorable comeback if he is to keep his hopes alive of winning his first World Championship title this year.

Elsewhere, four times world champion John Higgins is poised for another quarter-final appearance after gaining an overnight 10-6 lead against Ricky Walden.

Higgins, who has rediscovered his touch this season after winning major titles in Australia and China, is bidding to win his fifth World Championship crown. The winner of that tie will meet Alan McManus who secured a quarter-final spot after beating Ali Carter.

And Ronnie O’Sullivan’s second round clash against Barry Hawkins is set for a cracking finale after the latter held the edge after an entertaining first two sessions.

Barry Hawkins. Picture by Monique Limbos

Hawkins stands just four more frames away from knocking O’Sullivan out of the competition after he maintained his two-frame lead at 9-7 going into Monday night’s final session.

Should O’Sullivan lose the match, it will be his first exit at the World Championship before the quarter-final stages in seven years.