World Championship snooker: Kurt Maflin beats John Higgins despite 147 from latter

Higgins became the seventh player in Crucible history to register a maximum - and the first to do so before midday - as he wrestled his way back to parity in the second session, sending the match into the evening locked at 8-8.

When he took the lead at 11-10, it appeared as though the four-time champion was set to teach his inexperienced opponent a lesson, only for Maflin to take the next three frames and secure the biggest win of his career.

Maflin's victory was sealed in typical fashion, a pinpoint red followed by a swashbuckling green as he carved out an opening when there just didn't seem to be one. A final half-century later and he was on the verge of the quarter-finals, and one final Higgins error ended the contest.

In the first session of their match, on Wednesday, Maflin bounced back from a slow start by winning four frames in a row to go 4-2 up, before Higgins responded with a break of 101 and reduced the deficit. Maflin then made a break of 81 as he re-established a two-frame lead.

The Norwegian went three clear by winning two of the first three frames on Thursday morning, but Higgins then registered the 11th maximum break in Crucible history - and first since 2012 - to cut the deficit once more.

And the Wizard of Wishaw did what so few are able to do and backed up that 147 break, winning three of the final four frames of the morning to final draw level and resume favouritism once more.

Higgins only managed nine points from the first two frames of the final session and was in trouble at 10-8, but after a break of 78 got him within one it was now Maflin who was struggling, and slowly Higgins took over to lead again at 11-10.

Maflin though had one final burst in him, breaks of 80 and 75 taking him within one, and though a missed red to middle saw him fail in his first attempt to wrap up the match, later in the 24th frame he had another - and this time took it.

The last red was a simple one at the end of a complicated, see-saw match. Maflin's reward for winning it in a manner Higgins himself would've been proud of is a clash with either Anthony McGill or Jamie Clarke, guaranteeing that there will be a qualifier in the one-table set-up come the semi-finals.

Defending champion trails

Also on Thursday, Judd Trump won a vital final frame at the end of an engrossing first session against Yan Bingtao, who leads 5-3.

Yan had appeared set to win his fourth frame in succession to go four frames clear, but Trump took his chance well to keep within touching distance in the early stages.

It had been Yan who was forced to play catch-up early and, after losing a 40-minute opener, he impressed with a 127 clearance.

Trump again edged ahead and was poised to go 3-1 up, only to let Yan in for a brilliant counter-punch in frame four, a long blue powerfully put away as the Chinese showed nerves of steel to level things up at the mid-session interval.

Yan then took the next three frames, bagging breaks of 91 and 93 along the way, before an important 58 from Trump kept his deficit manageable.

Mark Williams and Stuart Bingham ended their second session level at 8-8, both having been in front before the other responded in what looks set to be a classic, and Mark Selby is also level with Noppon Saengkham at the same scoreline.

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