Davis beats Higgins in classic

The St Leonards potter eventually prevailed 6-5 on the final pink despite his opponent compiling a maximum 147 break to spark a comeback from 5-2 down.

Davis edged a tight first frame and a 54-minute third frame before knocking in a 61 to lead 3-1 at the interval. The in-form Higgins won the first frame after the resumption, but Davis made back-to-back centuries of 106 and 103 to stand on the brink of victory.

He didn’t score a point in the next two frames, though, as Higgins fought back with the aforementioned 147 and a 72. The Scot also won the 10th to force a decider.

A 39 helped Davis into a 53-point lead, but it looked as though he would be made to pay for a missed red to the middle as world number three Higgins replied with 49.

With victory seemingly in the bag, Higgins amazingly missed the pink off its spot and Davis then potted it with a thin cut into the yellow pocket to complete one of the biggest wins of his career.

World number 16 Davis, who eased past Chinese qualifier Cao Yupeng 6-1 in the first round on Sunday with breaks of 58, 50, 79, 68 and 51, is due to face 14th-ranked Matthew Stevens in the quarter-finals tonight.