FOUR-TIME world champion John Higgins snatched a potentially pivotal ninth frame to establish a comfortable lead over Robert Milkins in the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
Higgins, whose last world title came in 2011, made a gutsy 40 break to leave the best-of-19 first-round clash poised at 6-3 after the Englishman's 58 appeared to have narrowed the deficit to just one frame.
The man affectionately known as 'The Wizard of Wishaw' flew out of the blocks at the Crucible, posting breaks of 72, 64 and 62 as he built a 5-1 advantage.
To his credit, Gloucester-based Milkins dug in and responded with two frames on the trot, including a 50 in the eighth.
But Higgins demonstrated his famed resilience to nick frame nine despite his opponent's half-century and the 39-year-old will now be confident of booking his place in round two for the first time since 2012 when the pair finish up on Sunday evening.
Anthony McGill also holds a 6-3 lead in his all-Scottish encounter with world No.15 Stephen Maguire.
Despite the first-round clash being McGill's World Championship debut, the 24-year-old looked like a seasoned Crucible veteran from the off, making a fluent 92 to win the opening frame.
Maguire levelled things at 1-1 but his less-experienced opponent showed why he is considered one of Scottish snooker's brightest talents to reel off the next three.
The two Glaswegians are friends off the table, having practised together in the past, but Maguire showed no mercy to notch an impressive run of 86 in the eighth and move 5-3 behind.
But the final frame of the session was claimed by McGill, who beat veteran Mark King 10-9 to qualify for the main draw, in what could prove to be the turning point of the match.
Both men had chances but the world No 32 got the snooker he required and clinched it on the final black to leave him well-placed going into this evening's climax.
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