World Snooker results: John Higgins beats Mark Allen 13-12 to reach quarter-finals at the Crucible

Higgins had looked beaten at 10-7 down and then again when trailing 12-11, especially when he left the green ball close to the pocket as Allen closed in on victory.

But the Northern Irishman missed the thin cut, leaving Higgins with a chance which he grabbed with both hands, potting a nerveless pink to the centre pocket to take the match the distance.

Allen was in first in the decider and again Higgins looked to be heading for the exit door only for Allen to miss a red with the rest on 62, three or four pots from the winning line.

Higgins came to the table needing to clear it to somehow win and, beginning with a trademark double upon which the entire match rested, he set about doing that.

A misjudged pot on the penultimate red left Higgins low on the black to complicate matters but he powered in the difficult final red and went on to clear the colours in a show of defiance and determination that had at times appeared to have left him.

As the blue, pink and black were each despatched, Allen could only wonder how he'd managed to let the match slip through his fingers, as Higgins held his arms aloft before accepting the typically generous praise of his vanquished opponent.

It was just the eighth World Championship match at the Crucible to be decided on the final black. It might have taken the tournament time to catch fire, but on the night which also saw Stuart Bingham beat Jack Lisowski 13-11, catch fire it did.

Asked where the clearance ranks in his career, Higgins told World Snooker Tour: "It's the best. It will live with me forever. After everything that has gone before over the last two years, to stand up under the most intense pressure is a very proud moment for me.

"When I came to the table I knew that the double was my only chance, and when that went in, I knew it was on. I felt calm and I just tried to stay positive and keep pushing the cue through straight.

"This should do wonders for me because I know I can do it, and this is the hardest place to play."

World Snooker Championship: Draw and round-by-round results

ROUND ONE

Best of 19 frames (April 20-25)

• (1) Luca Brecel 9-10 David Gilbert
• (16) Robert Milkins 10-9 Pang Junxu
• (9) Ali Carter 7-10 Stephen Maguire
• (8) Shaun Murphy 10-5 Lyu Haotian
• (5) Mark Selby 6-10 Joe O’Connor
• (12) Kyren Wilson 10-1 Dominic Dale
• (13) John Higgins 10-6 Jamie Jones
• (4) Mark Allen 10-6 Robbie Williams
• (3) Judd Trump 10-5 Hossein Vafaei
• (14) Tom Ford 10-6 Ricky Walden
• (11) Zhang Anda 4-10 Jak Jones
• (6) Mark Williams 9-10 Si Jiahui
• (7) Ding Junhui 9-10 Jack Lisowski
• (10) Gary Wilson 5-10 Stuart Bingham
• (15) Barry Hawkins 8-10 Ryan Day
• (2) Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-1 Jackson Page

ROUND TWO

Best of 25 frames (April 25-29)

• David Gilbert 13-4 Robert Milkins (16)
• Stephen Maguire 13-9 Shaun Murphy (8)
• Joe O'Connor 6-13 Kyren Wilson (12)
• (13) John Higgins 13-12 Mark Allen (4)
• (3) Judd Trump 13-7 Tom Ford (14)
• Jak Jones 13-9 Si Jiahui
• Jack Lisowski 11-13 Stuart Bingham
• Ryan Day 7-13 Ronnie O'Sullivan (2)

QUARTER-FINALS

Best of 25 frames (All matches April 30-May 1)

• David Gilbert v Stephen Maguire (QF 1)
• (12) Kyren Wilson v John Higgins (13) (QF 2)
• (3) Judd Trump v Jak Jones (QF 3)
• Stuart Bingham v Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) (QF 4)

SEMI-FINALS

Best of 33 frames (May 2-4)

• Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 2 (SF 1)
• Winner QF 3 v Winner QF 4 (SF 2)

FINAL

Best of 35 frames (May 5-6)

• Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

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