Scots en route to semis

DEFENDING champion Stephen Hendry and fellow Scot John Higgins made heavy weather of their second-round matches at the European Open in Torquay last night, before setting up an intriguing quarter-final showdown.

Both took identical routes into the last eight at the Palace Hotel, with 5-4 victories over Graeme Dott and Gerard Greene respectively.

But there were plenty of anxious moments in the deciding frames before they joined Mark Williams and Paul Hunter in the quarter-finals of the £250,000 event.