MARANA, Arizona (AFP) — Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood continued their assault on the world number one ranking yesterday, reaching the quarter-finals of the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship.

England’s Westwood pumped American Nick Watney three and two, a day after Watney dispatched 14-time major champion Tiger Woods.

“I knew it was going to be a tough match against Nick. He’s knocked me out the last two years,” Westwood said. “It was nice to not make that hat trick and to win and get through to tomorrow.”

Northern Ireland’s McIlroy managed to survive once more without playing his best, taking down Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez three and one.

Both McIlroy and Westwood can usurp Luke Donald as world number one with a victory in the elite event tomorrow. They are currently on a collision course for a semi-final showdown.

First Westwood must account for Martin Laird who won an all-Scottish battle over Paul Lawrie three and one.

McIlroy next meets South Korean Bae Sang-Moon, who continued his charge with a one-up win over Australian John Senden in the day’s only match to go to the 18th hole.

Senden had a chance to send the match to extra holes, but his 20-foot birdie try on the last wouldn’t drop and Bae made a clutch six-foot par to move on.

It was a day full of routs with four matches finishing on the 15th hole.

Germany’s world number four Martin Kaymer, runner up at the event last year, was beaten four and three by American Matt Kuchar, who set up a quarter-final against countryman Hunter Mahan.

Mahan also won big in the round of 16, hammering Steve Stricker by four and three.

It became a popular winning score when under-rated American Mark Wilson upset big hitting Dustin Johnson, once again to the tune of four and three.