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Mark Allen's title defence continues as he races into quarter-finals in Belfast

Allen has won 11 matches on the spin in his home city
Allen has won 11 matches on the spin in his home city

Mark Allen wasted little time as he continued the defence of his Northern Ireland Open with a straightforward 4-0 win over Xiao Guodong in Belfast.

Allen has dropped just four frames in four matches as he hit a high break of 70 to book a last eight spot at the Waterfront Hall, winning the frame he needed on the black.

He'll next face Mark Williams after the three-time world champion came from behind to defeat Stephen Maguire 4-3. Maguire could count himself unlucky as he knocked in breaks of 123, 107 and 90, but couldn't finish off the Welsh Wizard, who managed century of his own - 111 in the first.

On the same side of the draw Neil Roberston knocked in a break of 102 en route to a whitewash of Li Hang.

He'll face Mark Selby next after the 'Jester from Leicester' was made to work by Michael White, before emerging a 4-2 winner. Selby managed a break of 132 in the fifth, before finishing out the match to reach the last eight.

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