Latest snooker results

The former world champion semi-finalist began the day with a 5-3 lead and kept up the momentum to end Higgins' hopes.

"Am I still dreaming?" asked Wattana, who will meet Matthew Stevens in the next round.

"To beat John when he is in good form is special. I am sure this result is going to surprise a few people."

Higgins has started the season brightly, becoming the first player to rack up maximum breaks in successive tournaments on the way, but his form deserted him in York.

"James played really well, and the better man won the two days," said the world number four.

"He's one of the nice guys of the game and never moaned. I am disappointed to lose but I know my form is there."

Ronnie O'Sullivan was back to his best as he breezed past Ian McCulloch to join Wattana in the third round.

I am on a new sort of journey but I don't know where it's going to end up Ronnie O'Sullivan

The former world champion took seven of the first eight frames on his way to a 9-3 victory at the Barbican centre.

"I want to push myself against the best players in the world," said O'Sullivan.

"I wouldn't class myself as a top player. I'd say I'm round about eighth, but it suits me to be the underdog."

McCulloch, who reached last year's British Open final, tried to hit back when play resumed on Sunday, notching up breaks of 104 and 75 to snatch the first two frames.

But O'Sullivan proved too strong for his fellow Englishman and goes on to meet Scotland's Alan McManus.

Former world champion Peter Ebdon started confidently against unpredictable Australian Quinten Hann, racing into a 3-0 lead.

But Hann hit back with five frames on the bounce and some excellent break building to end the session 5-3 up.

Hann began his comeback with a break of 98 in the fourth frame and prevented Ebdon from potting a ball in frames five and six.

Ebdon semed to lose concentration as a low-scoring seventh frame also went Hann's way and he finished with a flourish in the final frame of the session.

Trapping Ebdon in a snooker behinf the yellow, Hann earned a free ball and took the yellow as his opening red before making an excellent - and constantly out-of-position - 67 clearance.

Paul Hunter moved into a 5-3 lead over Mark King but narrowly missed out on the first competitive maximum break of his career.

The 2002 British Open champion sank 14 reds before missing the penultimate black in the final frame of the day.

Barry Pinches was well on his way to sealing another shock defeat in York as he raced ahead of world number five Stephen Lee.

The Norwich player was 6-2 ahead and needs just three more frames to reach his first ranking event quarter-final.

Nigel Bond, a world finalist in 1995, got off to a good start, taking a 3-0 lead against Joe Perry.

But the world number 16 responded and the match was poised 4-4 at the end of play.