Higgins digs deep to lead McCulloch

FORMER champion John Higgins recovered from a poor start to clinch a commanding lead over Ian McCulloch at the Crucible.

Higgins, the 1998 winner, looked out of sorts when he fell 3-1 behind but won the next five frames to secure a 6-3 overnight advantage.

The world number four is searching for his first ranking title since he won the British Open in October 2001.