Masters 2017: Joe Perry and Mark Allen progress to quarters

Joe Perry thrashed former world champion Stuart Bingham 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the Masters.

Perry made two centuries against Bingham, who became a father for the third time on Saturday.

Earlier, Mark Allen beat John Higgins 6-5 in a dramatic first-round match at Alexandra Palace.

Scot Higgins missed a black off the spot when on course to win the deciding frame, allowing Northern Irishman Allen in to make a 44 and take the match.

"If you don't pot balls at key moments, you don't win snooker matches," four-time world champion Higgins said.

Allen, ranked 10 in the world, goes on to face Marco Fu or Judd Trump in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

Higgins, 41, started strongly, a 111 break helping him into a 2-0 lead before Allen hit back to level at 2-2.

A run of 54 saw the Scot nudge ahead again before breaks of 81 and 104 gave Allen, 30, a 4-3 advantage.

The seesaw nature of the match continued as Higgins levelled before a superb 67 break in the ninth frame forced a respotted black, only for Allen to take it with a stunning pot.

Higgins, the world number three, took it to a decider with a run of 77, but Allen held his nerve to repeat his 2015 first-round win over the Scot.

In the evening session, Perry took the first frame with a break of 116, before snatching the next after forcing a respotted black.

Bingham pulled one back with a century, but Perry made breaks of 77, 76 and 107 and after Bingham fouled the white, his opponent took all the colours to progress. Perry faces China's Ding Junhui in the last eight on Friday.

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