Higgins turns on the style

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.

Stevens 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.

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.