World Snooker Championship: John Higgins beats Martin Gould to move into second round
Tuesday 18 April 2017 23:35, UK
Four-time champion John Higgins overcame a slow start to ease into the second round of the Betfred World Championship with a 10-6 victory over Martin Gould at the Crucible.
Higgins held a commanding 7-2 lead overnight in the best-of-19 clash but lost three of the first four frames as Londoner Gould took the score to 8-5.
But Higgins sent out a warning with the manner of his third-frame success on Tuesday, putting together a 127 break - the third highest of the tournament to date.
Gould averted defeat with an 80 in the 15th frame but could not prevent the inevitable as Higgins sealed his win at the next attempt.
Ding Junhui is also through, the fourth seed is chasing a maiden world title and saw off fellow countryman Zhou Yuelong 10-5.
Ding reached his first world final last year, losing 18-14 to Mark Selby, and he got his 2017 bid off to the perfect start with a fine performance that included three century breaks (136,132 & 103).
The 30-year-old had little trouble seeing off his teenage opponent who showed flashes of his class throughout but was unable to trouble his more experienced opponent.
Ding now faces another fellow-Chinese player - Liang Wenbo - after he beat Stuart Carrington 10-7.
World No 48 Carrington compiled century breaks in three successive frames - 124, 101 and 107 - to end the morning session with a 5-4 lead.
But Liang held his nerve, securing the last two frames of that session, before continuing his momentum into the evening to wrap up the victory.
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