Swede Henrik Stenson and Argentina's Andres Romero took just 15 minutes this morning to clinch places in the quarter-finals of the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth.

Forced to resume at 8am after yesterday's fog delay, Stenson was all square with American Woody Austin on the final hole - but sank a 12-foot birdie putt to go through to face Padraig Harrington's conqueror Anders Hansen.

Romero, two up with four to play on Stenson's compatriot Niclas Fasth, then birdied the 16th for a three-and-two victory.

That gave him a clash with six-time winner Ernie Els - Argentina v South Africa, in other words, two days before their Rugby World Cup semi-final match in Paris.

"That was a bit unnecessary," said a relieved Stenson, who had been five up on Austin at one stage. His relief was not just at coming through the contest, but also that a distraction had not cost him on the last hole.

After Austin had driven, the European Ryder Cup star was just about to tee off when a car appeared in front of him - and with no marshal around to tell him to stop, the driver screeched to a halt on realising he should not continue on the road crossing the fairway.

Stenson backed away and then did not hit his three-wood as he had hoped. It was at least straight, but it meant he could not reach the par five in two.

Austin chose to lay up as well. Although his pitch landed right by the pin, it spun 25 feet away - and Stenson took advantage.

In February Stenson won the Accenture world match play title in Arizona, so his win today kept alive his hopes of a notable double - and also boosted his hopes of winning the European Order of Merit.

Top two Harrington and Rose both went out yesterday - and with fourth-placed Fasth losing as well, Stenson had the chance to go from fifth to first with victory on Sunday.

Els is the man in third place and he could be leading as well, come the end of a weekend in which he also plans to cross the Channel for the rugby.