Snooker: John Higgins wasted little time in booking his place in the second round of this year's World Championship. The 1998 Crucible king stormed to an impressive 10-4 over Nottingham's Michael Holt this afternoon.
Leading 6-3 overnight, he needed just over an hour to win the four frames he needed for victory and a meeting with Dubliner Fergal O'Brien in the next phase.
The Scot was always favourite to progress, but the 31-year-old was understandably pleased with his improved form having initially slipped 2-0 down to Holt.
"Yesterday was a struggle, so I'm glad I played better today," said Higgins. "I still wasn't that convincing, but hopefully I can get another tough match under my belt and go from there.
"There's a lot of great players who have already gone out, so it's a good opportunity for me and the rest of the players to try and get a good run going.
"I've not had the best of seasons, but I've come here before having a good season and not performed. Hopefully it's the other way round this season."
Breaks of 50 and 49 saw last season's Masters and Grand Prix champion forge 7-3 in front, only for Holt to win the next frame with runs of 33 and 32.
But Higgins then fired in two more half century breaks - 52 and 57 - for a healthy 9-4 lead at the mid-session interval.
And it didn't take long for the world No 4 to make sure of his place in the next phase by winning the deciding 14th frame thanks to a break of 88.
"I'd given up at 6-3, I was demoralised," reflected a frustrated Holt, the world No 21, who had match breaks of 82, 49 and 65.
"I could have easily been 6-0 up very quickly, but I missed an easy pink and easy green - and it was downhill from there. I don't know what I've got to do to make that step up. I'm finding it hard."
In the other afternoon match 2005 Crucible winner Shaun Murphy established a welcome 5-3 lead over veteran John Parrott.
Murphy gave the local supporters plenty to shout about, pocketing a superb hundred and two half century breaks in racing to a 4-0 mid-session lead.
But 1991 world champion Parrott hit back in determined fashion to win the next three frames, the highlight of which was a 74 break in the sixth frame.
But Murphy won the last frame of the session to lead, with the players due to return for another eight frames tomorrow morning.
A possible nine frames could be played in the evening session when the best-of-25 frame match is set to reach a conclusion.