O'Sullivan and Higgins deadlocked

Tournament favourites Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins resume today as they make their respective bids to progress to the semi-finals of this year's 888.com World Championship.

The pair remained deadlocked at 4-4 after the opening session of their quarter-final clash at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre.

But by the time this evening's concluding session has finished another former world champion will have fallen before the final hurdle.

No fewer than seven world champions have already been dumped out, a statistic which could grow to nine with 2005 winner Shaun Murphy also struggling badly to stay in the hunt for snooker's most prestigious prize.

Higgins led Chigwell's O'Sullivan 3-1, but had to settle for honours even with the pair all square after his opponent fought back to win three of the last four frames.

It was Higgins who started the better and thanks to breaks of 91 and 73 gave himself a welcome two-frame cushion at mid-session tea break.

But two-time Crucible winner O'Sullivan, who had a top break of 89 before the interval, raised his game and to level at 3-3 with trademark breaks of 54, 65 and 60.

Wishaw's Higgins sunk a cool 110 to heap the pressure back on, but O'Sullivan won the next frame with a 76 break to leave it honours even after round one.

Meanwhile, Rotherham's Murphy looks to be heading home after slumping 11-5 behind to Welshman Matthew Stevens, the player whom he battled back from 10-6 behind to beat 18-16 to land the World Championship crown two years ago.

Stevens, a former Masters and UK champion, needs to win two frames to book his place in this year's semis.

Twice a beaten finalist, the 2000 and 2005 runner-up was in sparkling form against local hope Murphy as he surged six frames ahead.

Playing for the first time at the Crucible since their 2005 final, the pair resumed to play the second session of their best-of-25 frame quarter-final.

And it was world number 14 Stevens who dominated proceedings, winning seven of a possible eight frames to take himself within touching distance of a place in the next round.

A break of 61 gave Stevens the early initiative before he pinched a scrappy 10th frame which lasted over 40 minutes to lead 6-4.

Murphy hit back to win his only frame of the evening, a run of 30 enough to win the frame on points 75-47.

But from there on it was Stevens who controlled matters.

Former UK and European champion Stephen Maguire leads Nottingham's Anthony Hamilton 9-7 after the second session of their quarter-final match.

The Milton potter resumed 5-3 ahead after the morning session, but could not shake Hamilton, a four-time Crucible quarter-finalist.

He now requires four frames to earn a semi-final showdown with either O'Sullivan or fellow countryman Higgins.

Leicester potter Mark Selby has a 5-3 lead over Tiptree's Ali Carter.