Dott defeats fellow Scot Stephen Maguire

Dott ousts Maguire in the 2010 World Snooker Championships

Dott, who won at the Crucible in 2006, needs to reach the semi-finals to reclaim a place in the world's top 16.

He began Saturday's play 7-1 up on his fellow Scot, the world number two, and won the first four frames, featuring breaks of 130 and 127, to make it 11-1.

Maguire rallied to win five out of six before Dott sealed it with a 49 break.

The Larkhall-based player feels the damage was done in the second session on Saturday morning, when he won five of the eight frames available to take a commanding 12-4 lead.

"I knew, if I played well this morning, it would be a struggle for him to come back," Dott said.

"Luckily, I played really good for four frames and that was basically the match over."

The world number 28 relishes the Crucible atmosphere and feels he has the game to win the title again.

"You are always under pressure here," he said. "I'm under pressure at 12-4, you have just got to deal with it.

"I thought, when I come here, I can win it. If I get to the semi-finals, I am back in the top 16, but I would rather win the title than get back in the 16."

Dott will now play Mark Allen in the quarter-finals starting on Tuesday, 27 April, and knows the Northern Irishman will present a tough challenge.

"I think every time I turn on the TV, Mark is on for a 147," said the Scot. "Mark is clearly playing the best out of anyone right now.

"If we both play to the form we have shown do far, it should be a great game."

Dott believes his experience as a past champion will help him progress into the semi-finals.

"It's a massive advantage," he said. "I don't know how Mark feels, or how Mark Selby or Ding [Junhui] feels.

"It's just a massive advantage to be champion. If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, I can still be happy that I have won it."

Maguire, by contrast, has still to reach the final at The Crucible.