Murphy stuns Higgins to reach last eight

SHAUN MURPHY created the biggest shock of this year’s Embassy World Championship so far when he produced a stunning performance to defeat John Higgins 13-8 in Sheffield.

The 22-year-old, who began the tournament as the third lowest-ranked player in the field at number 48, had never won a match on his two previous visits to the Crucible but is now in the quarter-finals.

Higgins, the 1998 world champion, had looked in control when leading 4-1 on Saturday night but his opponent strung together five consecutive frames to move 6-4 ahead and then sustained his terrific form.