Ebdon celebrates on the double as Murphy exits

PETER EBDON had double cause for celebration in Sheffield last night, reaching the last 16 of the Embassy World Championship and becoming a father for a third time.
When he began his match with Ireland's Terry Murphy, Ebdon was only a dad of two.
But when he went out later to resume 6-3 ahead, wife Deborah had presented him with a 6lb 14oz boy which the couple will call Ethan.
''The baby wasn't expected until next week,'' said the emotional Londoner after completing a 10-3 success over Crucible Theatre newcomer Murphy.
Ebdon now meets Ireland's Fergal O'Brien, starting on Saturday, for a place in the quarter-finals.
Ronnie O'Sullivan, meanwhile, made a low-key start to his campaign on the adjoining table last night.
He restarts this afternoon with a 6-3 advantage over Joe Swail.
Earlier, Nigel Bond, who began his 1997-98 season with a bang by winning the Scottish Masters title last October in Motherwell, saw his campaign end with hardly a whimper as he lost 10-5 to Essex left-hander Mark King.
King will meet Alain Robidoux or Matthew Stevens for a place in the quarter-finals.
John Parrott had no problem adding four frames to his overnight lead of 6-3 for victory against Leeds qualifier Peter Lines.
The 1991 world champion reckons it will take a good player to stop him bridging a seven-year gap if he repeats his first-round standard.
However, the 33-year-old Liverpudlian has no ambition to still be playing at the top level in the next Millennium.
''I hear Steve Davis wants to be known as the Jack Nicklaus of snooker,'' said Parrott after his 10-4 triumph.
''I'll settle for being Johnny Miller, walking round the course with a microphone, watching the others sweat. I can't see myself running around still playing snooker when I'm 40. This is definitely a young man's game.''

Take Flyer to bounce back

SELHURSTPARK FLYER, who has proved disappointing since winning the Wokingham Stakes last season, can bounce back to form at Epsom this afternoon.
Jack Berry's seven-year-old put up a personal best at Royal Ascot to beat the smart Danetime a head, with Bollin Joanne a length away in third off a rating of 94.
Three poor efforts followed and the gelding's campaign ended in September.
He reappeared at Doncaster in a well-contested Listed race but once again showed little promise when finishing eighth of nine behind Monaassib after showing some early speed.
But in this afternoon's six-furlong Banstead Stakes Selhurstpark Flyer has been given every chance to regain the winning thread.
He will be racing off his Wokingham mark again, is a course and distance winner, has the benefit of a high draw against the favoured stands side, will have the assistance of 3lb-claimer Paul Roberts and will encounter similar underfoot conditions to the Royal meeting.
And with the Berry team in such good form it is worth taking a chance with Selhurstpark Flyer to put his below-par efforts behind him and return to the winner's circle.
Two weeks ago connections supplemented Achilles for the Vodafone Epsom Derby at a cost of £8,000 and the son of Deploy can go some way to repaying that outlay and get some practice across the famous Downs by winning the Schroder Unit Trusts Blue Riband Trial Stakes over the Derby course and distance.
Trained locally by Reg Akehurst last term Achilles is now in the care of Nick Littmoden and reappeared at Doncaster in March.
The colt showed a deal of promise in his first season and proved on the Town Moor that he had progressed well during the winter with a fine display.
Relishing the 10 furlongs, he led on the bit two furlongs out and shot clear for Jason Weaver to score by an impressive six lengths from the well-backed Spring Anchor.
The step up to a mile and a half should see further improvement from Achilles and he is napped to follow-up last month's success.
At Perth, Ballyline has outstanding claims in the Scottish Memories Memorial Handicap Chase over an extended two and a half miles following his gallant effort in the John Hughes at Aintree.
Racing from seven pounds out of the handicap at Liverpool Tom Kemp's seven-year-old ran a terrific race on ground previously considered too testing for him.
Leading from the third fence he never touched a twig and was only headed after the last but had no answer to Cyfor Malta's turn of speed and went down by 13 lengths.
Back in a much more suitable grade on a faster surface this afternoon Ballyline should not be missed off what still appears to be a favourable handicap mark.