Rod Lawler was delighted after reaching his first quarter-final in a full ranking event for more than a decade, setting up a clash with Mark Davis after coming through a rollercoaster ride against China’s Tian Pengfei 5-4. Liverpool’s Lawler, 42, had led 4-0 before Tian hit top gear to level at 4-4 – but the world No50 edged through on the final blue. Lawler, a professional for 24 years, fell off the tour in 2012 but got straight back on via Qualifying School. Though a winner of a PTC later that year, the last time Lawler was in the final eight of a major event was the 2003 Welsh Open, staged at the Cardiff International Arena. He lost 5-2 to Stephen Hendry, who went on to win the title that year. After his last-16 victory in Berlin he was already describing it a “perfect week” following Liverpool’s derby demolition of Everton on Tuesday.

Almost inevitably the arrival of world champion and former German Masters winner Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Tempodrom caused one of the biggest stirs of the pre-weekend phase of the tournament. The Rocket failed to qualify after a defeat in Barnsley to Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh that saw him accused of some reckless shots, and left organisers underwhelmed. A large quantity of O’Sullivan branded merchandise and copies of his recent autobiography ‘Running’ translated into German had been produced for this event and forthcoming exhibitions, and there was a danger of it not being shifted from the ‘Ronnie Shop’ and most being consigned to a Berlin lock-up garage or other place of rest. But after some wheeling and dealing O’Sullivan travelled out regardless and did three sets of book-signing and photos with wildly enthusiastic fans, two at the venue and one at the nearby players’ hotel.

It was a sign of the controversy generated by the Table Eight ‘Room of Doom’ that the order of play for Friday afternoon, the last-16 tie and final match due to be played in the separate area, was scanned as much for who had to be in there as for who was on the main table in the arena. With Shaun Murphy taking on Judd Trump the TV clash pretty much took care of itself, but with several of the field already having tasted the dubious delights of the ‘Buddha Lounge’ it was Xiao Guodong and Jamie Burnett who drew the short straw. A cynic might wonder if these were players least likely to throw their toys out of the pram on the issue, Inside Snooker couldn’t possibly comment.

It takes more than temperatures of minus 13 to stop legend and six-time world champion Steve Davis from promoting his sport, and the 56-year-old offered another reminder of why he is the game’s leading ambassador in Berlin.

Having agreed to do a photo-shoot in front of the iconic Brandenburg Gate in the German capital, Davis politely asked if he might be delayed, perhaps mindful of the bone-chilling cold. When the answer came back that this might present some difficulties Davis cheerily fulfilled the obligation, albeit well wrapped up, only hours before his match against Dominic Dale.

Happily there was a payback for the Nugget, battling to safeguard his tour place. Some of the photos of him in front of the famous edifice were so good he asked for one to include in the book of his snooker life he is currently working on.

Liang Wenbo was in action on Thursday evening – and due to miss the big night out for the Chinese players both left in the tournament, and already knocked out but still in Berlin. Friday marks the Chinese New Year (Year of the Horse), and a typical celebration on New Year’s Eve demands a huge party and the eating of dumplings by way of celebration. Ding Junhui, Xiao Guodong, Tian Pengfei, Li Hang, Liu Chuang and Cao Yupeng arranged to cast aside on-table rivalries and head off into the city for some revelry.

Abandon hope all ye who enter the Table Eight twilight zone…

Up until the last 16 matches on Friday at the German Masters there will be seven tables in use in the main arena, and an eighth set up in a separate area off the main foyer, used as a VIP area for the latter stages. The circular open space, with shallow tiered steps allowing spectators to effectively sit on the floor, might conceivably provide a decent atmosphere if it was full. But the first two players to sample it on Wednesday, Kurt Maflin and Tom Ford, were far from impressed at being shunted away from the main auditorium. So angry was world No27 Ford, 30, after a 5-2 defeat that he picked up a formal warning from referee Greg Coniglio for using bad language. Complaints included the table conditions as well as the setting, with a handful of onlookers making for a surreal experience.

London-born Norwegian Maflin, 30, could at least make his comments from the perspective of having won the match and wanted to avoid being placed there again.

He said: “I didn’t really like it, to be honest – it felt like a practice game. For sure, you would rather be in the main arena. Maybe it would have been a bit different if it had been full in there, 200 people or something – a different atmosphere.

“But the table played awful, the cushions felt as if they were playing slow, there were a lot of kicks and echo sounds in there. I hope I am not in there for my next match.

“Tom was frustrated, Berlin is a great city and a great venue, you get here and then you get stuck in a room with four people, when you expect to be in the main arena.”

Ryan Day was handed an unexpected day off in Berlin and bye through to the last 32 of the German Masters after scheduled opponent Cao XinLong failed to make it on to the plane in London. A visa issue prevented Cao, in his first season on the main tour, from satisfying the authorities prior to boarding and taking his place at the Tempodrom.

China’s Li Hang ran into problems in Berlin even before he had got out of Tegel airport. The 23-year-old arrived alone on a flight from London Heathrow, and engrossed on his phone in the baggage reclaim area was blissfully unaware that his cue had completely jammed the baggage belt. A helpful fellow passenger tried to unblock the logjam of suitcases, placing Li’s cue on top of a large pile of bags – but it duly fell off with a large crash on the floor, finally waking the player from his reverie. The world No96 anxiously examined his cue case for damage before heading off into the freezing night looking for a taxi.

Rod Lawler made the most of his first qualification for the German Masters, arriving early with wife and childhood sweetheart Jo to see the many iconic sights and landmarks on offer in Berlin, including the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie. And it just got better for the 42-year-old Liverpudlian even before he had hit a ball. Former Anfield season ticket holder Lawler, along with fellow Liverpool fan and World Snooker press chief Ivan Hirschowitz, settled down in the nearest bar showing the football on the Tuesday night to watch his beloved Reds against Everton and revelled in the demolition Merseyside derby as Brendan Rodgers’ team won 4-0.