John Higgins, determined to regain his place among the world's top 16, scored one of his best wins of recent years as he beat Shaun Murphy 4-2 in the second round of the Unibet British Open.
After an unbroken sequence of 29 years among the top 16, an all-time record, Higgins dropped out last weekend, overtaken by English Open champion Neil Robertson. But the legendary Scot has no intention of slipping further down, and his ambition over the upcoming events is to make sure of a place at the Masters in January.
The 49-year-old took a 3-0 lead today with top breaks of 74 and 56. Murphy pulled two back with 57 and 84, before Higgins wrapped up the result in frame six with an 82.
"It's a massive scalp for me," said Higgins, who now meets close friend Graeme Dott in the last 32 at 1pm on Thursday. "The last couple of times against Shaun, he has outplayed me. It's important for me to beat one of the top guys, and I'm pleased with the way I closed the match out. My new cue seems to have given me a new lease of life.
"The players in the top 16 deserve to be in there because they are winning tournaments, and I have not done that. It gives me something to aim for, to get back in there in time for the Masters. I've played there for 30 consecutive years and I wouldn't want that run to end."
World Champion Kyren Wilson saw off Ben Woollaston 4-1 with top breaks of 114 and 92. "It was a mixed bag, I scored heavily at times but also missed a few easy balls," said Wilson. "Winning a title early in the season (the Xi'an Grand Prix) has taken pressure off me but I want to win more. I'm not at my best, I haven't put in as much preparation as usual because I'm trying to balance family life with practice. But I still feel I can compete for the trophy."
Zhang Anda enjoyed a 4-1 success against Hossein Vafaei, while Oliver Lines made a crucial 23 in the deciding frame to beat Ka Wai Cheung 4-3. Ben Mertens top scored with 85 in a 4-1 win over Hammad Miah.