WBT Ranked number 3 Stewart Anderson, the title holder in 2013 and again in 2019 came through his quarter final match in the Imagine Cruising World Indoor Championships, beating Rob Paxton 8-5, 9-1.
Both players made a good start over the early exchanges but back to back doubles for Anderson on the third and fourth ends pushed him 5-2 ahead and he held onto that three shot advantage eventually posting an 8-5 win.
Paxton though, a finalist three times over the years and the champion in 2020, appeared to have aggravated a back/thigh muscle when opting to play a thundering runner and looked to be struggling slightly in the second set. And that's the way it played out with Anderson putting the result to bed with two ends to spare 9-1.
Looking back over the years, Paxton and Anderson have only come up against each other twice before - with Paxton winning both matches.
This year however, Anderson was delighted to have safely negotiated a semi-final spot in the event.
He last won the title in 2019 and in the four years of the Championship since then he has lost in the 2nd round on a tie break - in 2020 to Paxton, '21 to Greg Harlow, '22 to Jamie Chestney and last year to Wayne Willgress.
He will now provide the opposition for England's Harry Goodwin in the first of the semi-finals tomorrow afternoon at 1.30pm (Saturday 20th January).
RESULT
WORLD OPEN SINGLES QF 2
Stewart Anderson (Scot/3) bt Rob Paxton (Eng/4) 8-5, 9-1.
