and maintained it by adding three of the six evening frames, leading 20–16 going into the last day. The match between Williams and Bennett was played from 25 to 28 November 1968 at the Marland Hall in Southampton. Williams took all six frames in the first session, and achieved a winning margin at 25–4. Williams compiled a 107 break in the third frame of the fourth session, and, after were played, finished 38–11 ahead. The fourth quarter-final, between Fred Davis and Reardon, was not played until January 1969 because Reardon was touring South Africa. The match was played at the Tunstall British Legion, Stoke-on-Trent, from 20 to 24 January. The match featured lengthy tactical exchanges between the players, resulting in some of the longest sessions ever to take place in world championship history to that point. No player was ahead by more than two frames until Reardon took the 27th frame to lead 15–12, after which Davis won six successive frames to leave Reardon three frames behind at 15–18. Later, having been three frames down with six to play, Davis levelled the match at 24–24. Davis won in the after a break of 52 and some smaller scoring visits, with Reardon conceding the frame at 64 points behind with one remaining. The highest break of the match was 89, scored by Reardon. Semi-finals The two youngest players to have entered the tournament, Spencer, aged 33, and Williams, aged 35, contested the first semi-final, held at the Co-op Hall, Bolton, from 10 to 15 February. Spencer took a 9–0 lead, and was 11–1 ahead after the first day. Williams won the first two frames of the third day, and, after Spencer had taken the 15th frame, Williams added the 16th frame on a . The second day finished with Spencer leading 19–5, and the score was 29–7 after he won ten of the twelve frames on day three. Spencer achieved a winning margin at 37–12, and finished at 55–18 after dead frames were played. The second semi final, between Owen and Davis, was held at the Wilstanton Miners Club, Stoke-on-Trent, from 17 to 22 February. Owen took a four frame lead at the start of the match. Davis won the fifth and sixth frames, before Owen claimed the last three frames of the afternoon session followed by all six frames in the evening session for an 11–2 lead. After winning the