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The wildlife haven has belonged to the the Gully family since the Dowager Viscountess Selby - a descendant of the politician Sir William Court Gully who was given the title on retirement as Speaker of the House of Commons - approached an estate agent after the war, asking if they had any islands on their books.

That encounter was watched by a reported television audience of 110 million people in the country and since then the nation's hopes of a first world champion have largely rested on the shoulders of Ding, who was runner-up to Mark Selby in 2016.

However, after seeing the likes of Mark Selby, Mark Allen and Kyren Wilson depart early from his side of the draw, he is now just one win away from a ninth Crucible final.

In the other match in the afternoon session, China's Si Jiahui moved into the quarter-finals thanks to a 13-10 win over England's Ben Woollaston, who had eliminated fourth seed Mark Selby in the first round.

This was the 15th maximum in the main draw stage of the tournament and the first since Mark Selby's clearance in the 2023 final.