Davis sends Higgins packing

Four-time winner John Higgins crashed out of the Betfair World Championship today as Mark Davis sent the Scot home.

Sussex potter Davis turned an overnight 6-3 lead into a 10-6 victory over the man who triumphed at the Crucible in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

When they played at the UK Championship in December, Higgins made a 147 maximum break but still lost the match. But there was no such spark this time, with Higgins’ performance flat.

World number seven Higgins, 37, was finished off by a brilliant break of 87 as 40-year-old Davis reached the second round for the third time in his career.