VALENCIA, Spain (AFP) - China's Liu Xiang will now be the clear favourite for the World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles title here on Saturday, after Cuba's Dayron Robles was surprisingly eliminated in the heats.

Robles, who last month ran the second fastest time ever of 7.33secs, was expected to give Liu a run for his money but stayed in his blocks and stood up at the start of his heat as the gun went, expecting a false start to be called.

However, the judge did not call back the race.

The 21-year-old Robles, the world indoor silver medallist two years ago, made a vain effort to try to get back into his running but finished last before leaving the track in tears.

Strange seeding had also placed Liu in same heat and in the adjacent lane, as the reigning Olympic and world champion outdoors had not run under cover this winter, but with four to qualify automatically Liu was content to operate on cruise control.

Liu, not pressing too hard with two further races here later on Saturday, finished second in 7.73secs, coming home just behind Latvia's former European indoor champion Stanislav Olijars who clocked 7.72secs.

"I feel really sorry for Dayron. I got a really fast start and I feel that this might have actually put him off," said Liu.

"I think that it has been a lack of experience on his part because in the case of doubt it is better to continue running until you hear the second pistol.

"It is a shame because I wanted to run against him," added the superstar from Shanghai, who is the Asian record holder in the indoor discipline.

However, it is not the first time that Robles has had problems anticipating that a false start might be called.

He was unbeaten in any race he has actually finished this winter until Saturday but at a meeting in Paris last month he pulled up when noise from the crowd made him incorrectly think that the race had been recalled.

The world indoor title is virtually the only honour that has so far evaded 24-year-old Liu in his short but illustrious career.

He was third at 2003 World Indoor Championships and second in 2004.

"I'm gradually closing in on it (the gold). I have a special affection for the Championships as it was where I got my first medal at a senior world championship and when people first started to notice me," said Liu earlier this week.

Fastest qualifier from Saturday's five heats was Spain's Ecuadorian-born Jackson Quinonez who ran 7.58secs.