Dominic Dale is on course for his first Crucible quarter-final in 14 years

DOMINIC Dale is on course for his first Crucible quarter-final in 14 years as he holds a 7-1 advantage over surprise package Michael Wasley after their first session.

Wasley sensationally beat world No.2 Ding Junhui earlier in the week in Sheffield but proved little trouble for Dale in the first eight frames on Saturday night.

Stroud-based Dale, who is ranked at No.24 in the world, rattled in a 74 break for starters before Wasley quickly levelled up with runs of 66 and 20.

But Wasley’s point-scoring soon dried up, allowing Welshman Dale to canter into a 3-1 lead at the mid-session interval at the World Snooker Championship.

His rut continued in the fifth frame, running out of position on a break of 20 for Dale, who dispatched seed Mark Davis in the first round, to post 65 unanswered points.

And Dale’s momentum continued unabated to win the final three frames of the session – including a scintillating break of 106 – to give him a chance of wrapping up the match in just two sessions.

And should Dale’s relentless streak carry on at the Crucible, he will meet last year’s finalist Barry Hawkins in the quarter-finals starting Tuesday.

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