JOHN HIGGINS piled up the problems for troubled snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan in Sheffield last night.
Higgins swept to a 10-6 over-night lead over his fellow 20-year old to stand on the verge of a first appearance in the Embassy Championship semi-finals.
The current world number two requires only three of today's frames to book a meeting with Peter Ebdon or Steve Davis.
But O'Sullivan must be kicking himself for not finishing closer to his Scottish opponent.
After almost being booted out of the championship for his unprovoked attack on official Mike Ganley on Sunday, O'Sullivan could have been forgiven a bad performance.
However, after accepting his punishment of a record £20,000 fine and suspended two-year ban, he came to give the match his best shot.
But in a number of crucial frames he failed to complete promising breaks to stay in touch.
The audience may have given the players a muted welcome when the match began, but the crowd soon warmed to a rapid contest that took only three hours seven minutes to complete 16 frames.
Higgins took a 5-3 advantage in the opening session, with one 137 clearance being the highlight, and went on to lead 8-4.
When the game resumed last night, O'Sullivan soon slotted a six-minute century break to bring himself back into contention. Higgins' reply was immediate, winning the next three frames.
O'Sullivan stopped the rot in frame 13. However, he was to win only one more frame as Higgins knocked in his second century of the contest in frame 14 and then from 60-0 down hit a break of 70 to go 10-5 up with 10 to play. O'Sullivan took the last frame of the night.
On the evidence of this display and his victory in the previous round over Alan McManus, Higgins could yet supersede Stephen Hendry as the youngest Embassy champion.
Earlier, a freak accident caused play to be suspended in the quarter-final between Peter Ebdon and Steve Davis.
Crucible history was made when a ripped cloth forced the game to be halted ahead of schedule with Ebdon 5-1 ahead.
Table fitters then moved in to repair the damage to the green baize close to the baulk line. The tear occurred in a 40-minute fourth frame when world No 10 Ebdon miscued trying to pot an easy red.
Nigel Bond was prevented from earning a morning off by a late rally from Dave Harold. Bond, beaten 18-9 by Stephen Hendry in last year's final, extended his 5-3 first session advantage to go 9-3 in front.
After the interval, though, Harold came out to take three of the remaining four frames with breaks of 96, 68 and 82. Bond, the world number 12, failed to score a point in any of those frames.
However, it was unlucky 13 for Harold when on course to become only the fourth player in 21 Crucible campaigns to compile a maximum 147 break.
He potted 12 reds and 12 blacks but ran out of position and missed a tricky red into the yellow pocket.
