Ronnie O’Sullivan leads John Higgins 6-2 after the opening session of their World Championship last-16 tie at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Mark Williams, the 51-year-old former world champion, lost 13-9 to Barry Hawkins in the second round, ending his bid for a fourth title.
Williams, who won the World Championship in 2000, 2003 and 2018, said he could not match Hawkins’ consistency after a strong start.
“I just had to try my best over the three sessions. In two I played OK but the second session, I didn’t play particularly well and that’s when he got a good lead,” Williams told BBC Sport.
Hawkins, who turned 47 on Wednesday, secured victory with breaks of 85 in frame 18 and frame 20 to reach the quarter-finals for the seventh time.
The victory means Hawkins will face Mark Allen in the last eight, whereas O’Sullivan and Higgins will resume their match on Sunday evening at 19:00 BST.
O’Sullivan won four of the first five frames with breaks of 86, 82, 137 and 95 before Higgins responded with a 68 in frame six.
For more on this story, see Snooker World Championship Draw: Route to Glory Revealed.
O’Sullivan then took the last two frames of the session, including a 76 in the final frame, to establish a four-frame advantage.
The crowd gave a standing ovation at the start of the session to honour O’Sullivan, Higgins and Williams, who have won 14 world titles between them.
Williams said the reception was the best he had ever received at the Crucible but acknowledged it was unlikely to be repeated with all three members of the ‘Class of 92’ playing together again.
“There’s nothing else I can really do, I can’t practise for hours each day and I can’t secure better – as you go on, you get worse and worse,” Williams said.
Hawkins said beating a player of Williams’ stature was a significant achievement and praised the atmosphere created by the crowd’s tribute.
“They were not standing for me, they were standing for the Class of 92 but when I walked out, what a feeling. It’s the best place to play when it’s like that,” Hawkins said.
What does Williams’ loss mean for his career?
Williams said he no longer believes he can improve through practice due to age-related decline, suggesting this may be among his final appearances at the sport’s highest level.
How did Hawkins secure his victory?
Hawkins won by capitalizing on Williams’ inconsistent second session and compiling two breaks of 85 in the latter stages of the match to pull away decisively.