Williams and Robertson progress at Welsh Open

Two-time champions Mark Williams and Neil Robertson cruised into the last 16 of the Welsh Open in impressive fashion.

Williams hit three half-century breaks in a 4-1 win against Martin O'Donnell in the second-round contest, while Australian Robertson beat Hossein Vafaei by the same margin.

A long pot on a red in the fifth frame was among Welshman Williams' highlights in Llandudno.

"I thought I played alright. Conditions were tough, it was flying off the cushions," the 50-year-old told BBC Sport.

"He (O'Donnell) missed a few there, he let me off the hook a few times. But overall I thought I played alright. I had a good break in the last frame."

Williams - who won the event in 1996 and 1999 - will face 2018 runner-up Barry Hawkins in the third round after the Englishman produced breaks of 69, 72 and 52 in a 4-2 triumph over Pang Junxu.

Robertson - Welsh Open champion in 2007 and 2019 - came from a frame behind to beat Vafaei.

The Iranian came out on top in an opening frame that lasted 51 minutes, although former world champion Robertson won four consecutive frames, the second of which was on the black, to claim victory.

Having survived those early scares, Robertson showed his class in the final two frames with breaks of 100 and 118 to set-up a third-round meeting with Jak Jones.

The Welshman hit a trio of 50-plus breaks to move into round three with a 4-2 win over Scotland's Anthony McGill.

A stunning 101 break in the penultimate frame proved pivotal as Welshman Jackson Page came from behind to beat Chang Bingyu 4-3.

Bingyu posted breaks of 65 and 74 en route to going 3-2 up, although Page's century break was followed by a 70-22 win in the final frame.

Robbie Williams came from 2-0 down to beat 2013 winner Stephen Maguire 4-3 in the second round - with a 69 break in the fourth frame the highlight for the Englishman.

Jack Lisowski won three successive frames to come from 3-1 down to beat Xiao Guodong on the north Wales coast.

China's Guodong looked on course for victory after following up a pair of half-century breaks with a 113 in the fourth frame.

But Lisowski produced an impressive fightback to win each of the final three frames, producing an 83 break to force a last-frame decider, which he then went on to win 56-39.

David Grace claimed a straightforward 4-1 victory over Welshman Dylan Emery, while Wu Yize defeated Joe O'Connor 4-2 in a match that featured four half-century breaks.

Elsewhere, Jiang Jun outscored fellow Chinese player Yuan Sijun to secure an emphatic 4-0 victory.

Reigning world champion Zhao Xintong survived a fightback from Stan Moody in the evening session to book his place in round three.

Xintong, 28, made breaks of 83, 54 and 55 to race into a 3-0 lead, although 19-year-old Moody kept the contest alive by winning back-to-back frames - which included a break of 53 in the fifth frame.

But world number five Xintong won frame six in style with a 122 break to set up a third round meeting with Stuart Bingham who overcame David Gilbert.

The 2017 Welsh Open champion led thanks to a strong 63 break in the opening frame.

Gilbert responded with even more impressive breaks of 81 and 123 to go in front, although Bingham won the next three frames - adding two further half-century breaks - to progress.

Number two seed Kyren Wilson's Welsh Open came to an end in Wednesday's late games, as he won just one frame in a 4-1 defeat to Yuelong Zhou.

Sam Craigie produced a classy display that featured a 111 break and two half-centuries to win 4-1 against fellow Englishman Gary Wilson.

Zhang Anda twice came from behind to earn a 4-2 win against Liam Pullen - who made a 103 break in the opening frame.

And the day's final game finished just after midnight, as John Higgins had to go the distance against Hungary's Bulcsu Revesz before winning the deciding frame 81-10.

Morning and afternoon session:

Xiao Guodong 3-4 Jack Lisowski

Anthony McGill 2-4 Jak Jones

Barry Hawkins 4-2 Pang Junxu

Dylan Emery 1-4 David Grace

Mark Williams 4-1 Martin O'Donnell

Jiang Jun 4-0 Yuan Sijun

Robbie Williams 4-3 Stephen Maguire

Chang Bingyu 3-4 Jackson Page

Hossein Vafaei 1-4 Neil Robertson

Joe O'Connor 2-4 Wu Yize

Evening session:

Gary Wilson 1-4 Sam Craigie

Zhang Anda 4-2 Liam Pullen

David Gilbert 2-4 Stuart Bingham

Stan Moody 2-4 Zhao Xintong

Kyren Wilson 1-4 Zhou Yuelong

Bulcsu Revesz 3-4 John Higgins