 Higgins' highest break against Stevens was 106 |
Defending champion John Higgins needed all of his battling qualities to fend off Matthew Stevens in the last 16 of the Royal London Watches Grand Prix. The Scot led 4-1 before Welshman Stevens reeled off three frames in a row to square the match.
Stevens had chances in the decider but, to the relief of the Aberdeen crowd, Higgins clinched a win with a 48 break.
Joining him in the quarter-finals are fellow Scot Alan McManus and England duo Ian McCulloch and Mark King.
McManus thrashed England's Mark Selby 5-1 while McCulloch beat Ryan Day of Wales 5-3.
King beat fellow Englishman Stephen Lee 5-3 in the final match to finish on Thursday evening.
Left-hander McCulloch, a Grand Prix runner-up in 2004, pocketed breaks of 80, 58 and 101 and a run of 41 in a scrappy eighth frame secured victory for him.
Higgins had begun strongly against Stevens, racing to a 3-0 lead with breaks of 80 and 106.
But the Scot admitted he thought he had lost his chance when Stevens battled back with breaks of 76, 84 and 93 in little more than half an hour.
"I thought my chance had gone. I thought it was curtains," said Higgins.
"Luckily for me I got my chance. I'm delighted. It's good to show you can win with a bit of bottle."
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Interview: John Higgins