John Higgins continued his campaign in the BetVictor Scottish Open snooker with a 4-2 win over Lyu Haotian at Meadowbank after losing the first frame.
The 29-year-old Chinese player fashioned a break of 89 to win the opening frame 93-5 but the four-time world champion claimed the next 91-24 and the third 72-0 thanks to a break of 68.
Back came Haotian with a break of 91 for a 100-18 victory but he was edged 62-54 in the next and Higgins claimed the tie with a 51 break in the sixth, winning it 76-33.
Last year’s winner, Gary Wilson, edged Joe O’Connor 4-3 in a repeat of the 2022 final. The Tyneside-based cueman won the opening frame 131-0 with a break of 87.
The defending champion took the second 69-45 but lost the third 83-1 but a break of 75 secured the fourth 99-0 but O’Connor refused to buckle.
He fashioned a break of 56 in the fifth to win it 102-15 and he took the next 72-5 with a break of 50 to level the match.
Wilson held his nerve to win the seventh and final frame 67-42 and progress along with Dominic Dale who beat 61-year-old Jimmy White 4-1 with the veteran cueman winning the opening frame 64-61 despite a break of 61 from Dale.
The 51-year-old Welshman took the next 96-16 with a 55 break and the third 70-23 before edging the fourth 59-56 and the closed out the game with a 74-43 win in the fifth.
Sanderson Lam beat Glaswegian Anthony McGill 4-1, winning the first three frames before 32-year-old McGill (pictured) took the fourth 84-0 but Lam closed out the match with a 64-33 win in the fifth.
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