The World No 1 hit back after losing the opening set to beat last year’s runner-up, Dutchman Danny Noppert, 4-1.

McGeeney progressed at the Lakeside Country Club with finishes of 160, 120 and 127.

The second of those played a big part in the direction of the match as it saw McGeeney move 2-1 up and he won the next two sets 3-2 to reach the last eight.

Noppert was unseeded despite his feats from 12 months ago and on the way to taking the opening set he landed a superb 110, but McGeeney had too much.

Scott Mitchell, the 2015 world champion, is out though after losing 4-2 to Belgian Andy Baetens.

Mitchell played superbly, and not only was his average of 96.39 higher than Baetens’ 94.55, it was even better than McGeeney’s 92.13 later in the afternoon.

But Baetens did enough in his finishing having led the match 2-0 before Mitchell won the next two sets.

And with a 127 in the fifth set before a 91 to take it, Baetens won the match on a checkout of 60.