John Higgins makes a solid start to defence of his snooker World Championship title

Higgins led 7-2 after the morning session and needed just three more frames in the evening session to seal a last-16 clash with either Ryan Day or Michael Judge.

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Stevens, however, threatened to maintain his proud record of having never lost a first round tie at the Crucible in 10 visits when he took the first three frames of the evening.

But Higgins dug deep to take the next two frames with breaks of 75 and 120 and the 32-year-old completed an impressive victory with a run of 103.

"I'm delighted to be through," said Higgins. "From 2-1 down this morning I managed to nick a frame to get to 2-2 and after that I scored very heavily.

"Tonight I realised Matthew is one of those players that can reel off three or four frames in a row but he missed a pot with the rest and then I didn't really miss a shot in the last three frames.

"I was still saying to myself 'If someone had offered you 7-5 ahead you would have taken it' and trying to stay positive. It was a bit like the final last year (when he led Mark Selby 12-5 but was pegged back to 14-13), trying to concentrate on being in front and not thinking about him coming back."

Higgins will not be in action again until Thursday but is staying in Sheffield even though his wife Denise is heavily pregnant with their third child.

"She told me to stay down so she wouldn't be bossing me about," joked Higgins. "If I get to the final she would definitely come down here. She's not due until May 26 but that might bring her on a bit!"

A disappointed Stevens, twice a Crucible runner-up but forced to qualify this year after a poor season, said: "Tonight I came out firing and got it back to 7-5 but missed a few shots.

"I felt comfortable out there today but John just played better than me. Being 7-2 down against anyone is tough but John especially. I have given it my all and that's all I can do.

"It's been a poor season, hopefully next season I can try to get back into the top 16. It just hasn't clicked and John Higgins on top form is going to be a handful."

Higgins had trailed 2-1 early on as Stevens came close to a 147 maximum break, the Welshman potting 14 reds and 14 blacks in the third frame.

The 30-year-old actually fluked the 14th black while attempting to move the final red from tight on the cushion above the middle pocket, and then narrowly failed to pot the red down the rail.

That was as good as it got in the morning session, Higgins winning the next six frames in a row for a commanding lead which ultimately proved crucial.

In other first-round action, Australian Neil Roberton forged a 7-2 lead over veteran Nigel Bond despite not finding his fluent best in an often scrappy encounter.

The left-hander managed two breaks of 70 and one of 80 to lead 5-1 before Bond, finalist here back in 1995, reduced the gap in style with a 125 total clearance. However, Robertson took the last two frames of the session to take a commanding lead.

Former champion Peter Ebdon battled back from 5-2 down to trail debutant Jamie Cope 5-4 after their first session, the 2002 winner showing typical grit to take the final two frames with breaks of 87 and 103.

It looked like not being Ebdon's day when he unfortunately potted the pink while attempting to lay a snooker behind the black in the second frame, and Cope took advantage with some characteristic long potting.

Northern Ireland's Joe Swail took five frames in a row to lead Stephen Lee 7-2. Lee looked set to go 3-2 ahead when, after potting the blue, he snookered himself on the pink and after a safety battle, then conceded three fouls to gift Swail the frame.

Swail, twice a semi-finalist, took full advantage and Lee has it all to do to avoid a second successive first-round Crucible exit.

In the day's final match, Ali Carter recovered from 3-0 down to lead Barry Hawkins 6-3 in a scrappy encounter spanning almost three hours 45 minutes.

Hawkins fired breaks of 51 and 71 to take the opening two frames without conceding a point and snatched the third by 65-64 after Carter had been first in with 56.

But it was all change after that as Carter won six long, hard-fought frames in a row to edge towards a place in the second round.