Higgins holds his nerve

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Resuming 11-5 ahead, the 1998 winner needed just two frames to ensure an all-Scottish semi-final with close friend Stephen Maguire.

But he was given a scare by a much-improved O'Sullivan, who began to rediscover the fluency which deserted him in the morning session, when the world number three took just one frame.

O'Sullivan took the first two frames to cut the deficit, making a 70 break in the 18th, before Higgins moved within one frame of victory in the next with a run of 58.

O'Sullivan rallied again, recording a 93 break to cut the gap, but the comeback was to end there as Higgins kept his cool after a tense exchange.

The Scot, who beat O'Sullivan in last season's Masters final as well as the Grand Prix final earlier in the season, admitted afterwards the damage had been done in the middle session.

He said: "Ronnie came out of the blocks firing. I had a few half chances earlier on, missed, and it seemed to give him the spark he needed because he was beginning to dance around the table.

"It was just about keeping my composure at the end. The standard wasn't that great in the first four of the morning session, Ronnie didn't play that well at all, but the final four frames were the turning points in the match.

"Obviously he was the favourite, he's a great player, he's won everything, but I fancied winning. I have beat him a few times and backed myself to win the match."