Defending champion Zhao Xintong, speaking on BBC Two after his quarter-final exit from this year's World Championship:

"Shaun played really well, he gave me big pressure and played perfect snooker today. He deserved to win.

"I felt some pressure [as defending champion] but I still felt alright. I tried to get better, but Shaun is a good player and he played very well so congratulations to him.

"I gave him some difficult long pots and he potted everything today.

"I'm looking forward to the new season, I can have a rest now and I'm happy. Hopefully next season I will have a strong comeback."

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

Shaun is known as the Magician and it was a magical performance, there's no doubt about it. He's playing as well as he's ever played.

He has that super confidence, every facet of his game is top-quality and he's playing as good as anyone in the tournament.

But he won't get carried away, I'm sure.

Key frame for Hossein Vafaei on the other side of the divider, which will soon be raised with the other match finished.

He floats in an incredibly nerveless long red, given he'd lost five frames on the spin, to give himself a chance of sealing a frame he had mostly controlled. And he takes full advantage.

Massive final frame of the session coming up in front of the entire Crucible arena - mammoth difference between 10-6 and 9-7.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

It was nigh on the perfect session. I don't think Shaun will have ever played as good a session, it was a super-human performance and it needed that to take out Zhao Xintong, because he wasn't playing badly.

Shaun is playing World Championship-winning standard at the moment and if he continues it, he's going to be so tough to beat.

The Crucible curse strikes again!

A magnificent performance from Shaun Murphy, who ends the title reign of defending champion and pre-tournament favourite Zhao Xintong.

The Englishman is into the semi-finals again and, 21 years after his first world title, is two wins away from achieving a second.

It's not over yet - Zhao Xintong flukes a red to start a break of 30, before playing safe off the last red.

He's 39 behind with 35 remaining.

Shaun Murphy is 69 ahead with 67 remaining. Zhao Xintong returns to the table needing a snooker to extend his title defence at least one more frame.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

This has been as confident a run to the line as you could wish to see.

Shaun Murphy's break is up to 45 now. He'll probably need to disturb some reds to get over the winning line in this frame, though.

Rob Walker
Snooker commentator for BBC TV

It's hard not to feel sympathy for Hossein Vafaei - he really hasn't done much wrong. His opponent has been fantastic.

Wu is guaranteed a lead going into tonight - the only question is by how much.

One of the biggest sessions of snooker of his entire career, in front of a huge audience - in the arena and television - and he's floating around the table without a care in the world.

Shaun Murphy pots a couple of tremendous reds into middle pockets to set up a first real chance to clinch the match and, with it, a place in the semi-finals at the Crucible.

Bit of bad luck for Hossein Vafaei as the Iranian pots a brilliant long red but doesn't quite land on a colour.

And once Wu Yize gets his chance, well he pounces. Another simply effortless break - well effortless for him. Just makes it look so easy (it's not).

The only blot on the copybook is the green staying over the pocket in an attempted clearance - means the break finishes on 92, rather than consecutive centuries.

Five frames on the spin for the 22-year-old Chinese potter.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

That was a quality break under the most intense pressure, clinging onto that World Championship trophy that he's held for 12 months. He doesn't want to let it go.

That was tremendous character shown and he's still in this match, he's still fighting.

Shaun Murphy will have to go through the line, Zhao is not going to give it to him.

That's one of the four frames won.

Zhao Xintong's break of 75 makes it 12-10 to Shaun Murphy.

Much better from the defending champion.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

When a player gets to 12 or they need one more frame to win, if they don't get the match won in the very next frame, a little bit of doubt can sometimes creep in.

Zhao Xintong pots a ball for the first time in more than half an hour to open the scoring in frame 22 - the first of four in a row he needs to win if he's going to stay in this year's World Championship.

Rob Walker
Snooker commentator for BBC TV

It's reminiscent of watching Judd Trump back in 2011 when he played that swashbuckling snooker and charged into the final.

Vafaei hasn't really done a lot wrong in this session but the match is starting to get away from him.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

Image source, PA Media

This is championship-winning form if Shaun Murphy can keep it up.

If he does win this match, in terms of frames you need to win to win the championship, you're only about halfway there.

But in this form, if he keeps it up, he'll take some beating.

A trick shot on the final black to finish and Shaun Murphy needs one more frame to reach the semi-finals and knock out the defending champion.

He's been outstanding so far today.