John Higgins produced a stunning display to march into the World Championship quarter-finals, routing Kyren Wilson 13-2 at the Crucible.
The four-time champion broke the back of the match when winning every frame of the opening session to raise the prospect that the veteran Scot might be about to win his first world title since 2011.
Three century breaks and three more over 50 saw Higgins take complete control of a clash that failed to live up to its pre-match billing, and he didn't need to be anything like as spectacular in the evening as he won with a session to spare.
136 and 137 total clearances in the opening two frames set the ball rolling and by the time he signed off from the morning session with further runs of 134 and 80, he led 8-0 and had one foot firmly in the last eight.
Back-to-back centuries for John Higgins to start this match!
— Eurosport (@eurosport) April 23, 2023
Breaks of 136 and 137.
Vintage stuff 👏@WeAreWST | #WorldChampionshipSnooker pic.twitter.com/zpTYjZruXR
Wilson did at least avoid the whitewash, though losing the 12th frame having left his opponent needing a snooker was another body-blow which summed up his forgettable day.
There was still time for some late drama, however, with Higgins potting 10 reds and blacks before his maximum effort ended when the 11th red rattled in the jaws of the bottom corner pocket – much to Wilson's relief given he currently holds the high break prize for his 147 maximum break on Wednesday.
"I am over the moon just to beat Kyren, but to beat him with a session to spare I would never have believed that was possible," Higgins told Eurosport.
"I felt as if I could just play there all day. It felt really good, and you do not get that many times here.
"It was amazing to be 8-0 and it was in my mind to just share the session four-all and be 12-4 in front going into the third session, but it is a bonus winning it, I now get a day off.
"I have been feeling as if this has been coming for the past month, that I could go on a run of breaks, and that is what you need to do here because I am going to come up against that sooner rather than later.”
Absolute 𝓭𝓮𝓿𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 🤯
— Eurosport (@eurosport) April 23, 2023
John Higgins beats Kyren Wilson 13-2, with a session to spare 🧙♂️
At least he stops short of matching Wilson's 147.@WeAreWST | #CazooWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/IXhsJLsShm
On Table One, Si Jiahui continued his memorable Crucible debut to move within sight of the quarter-finals as he took an 11-5 lead over Robert Milkins.
Resuming 6-2 ahead from Saturday, world number 80 Si, the lowest-ranked player in the tournament and who beat Shaun Murphy in the first round, pushed on again after Milkins had reduced the deficit by taking the opening frame.
Consistent scoring saw the 20-year-old further extend his lead and he looked on course to also complete victory with a session to spare before ‘the Milkman’ won the 14th frame with a break of 94.
Welsh Open champion Milkins, who had fought back from 7-2 down against Joe Perry in their interrupted first-round match, also took the next with a half-century break.
However, another composed clearance of 67 from Si put the Chinese player on the brink of the last eight.
Mark Selby edged another hard-fought session with Gary Wilson, moving 10-6 in front ahead of Monday night's final session.
Selby won five of the eight frames played in a gruelling opening session, and it was just the same on Sunday despite Wilson taking the first two frames of the afternoon to level at 5-5.
The session turned on a brilliant clearance from Selby who overturned a 59-point deficit to inch back in front, and though Wilson dominated the next frame, it was one-way traffic thereafter.
In winning the next four frames, with the aid of 91 and 71 breaks, Selby extended his lead to four frames as he closes in another Crucible quarter-final.
Elsewhere, Jack Lisowski finally made his mark on his match with Anthony McGill.
Lisowski still has it all to do, trailing 11-5, but in winning four of the last five frames of the second session, he has at least kept his faint World Championship hopes alive.