Higgins edges China's Xiao Guodong in 25-frame round of 16 thriller at World Snooker Championship

John Higgins of Scotland defeated Xiao Guodong of China 13-12 at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, England, on Saturday, advancing to the quarterfinals at the Crucible Theatre.

The battle was close in all three sessions, after neither player could pull away from the other by more than one frame in either of the first two sessions.

Xiao seized the advantage 9-8 after potting a difficult red to help spark a frame-winning break of 76, but four-time world champion Higgins soon leveled the contest, before reclaiming the lead 10-9 with a long yellow.

The "Wizard of Wishaw" pulled off a lovely long plant in the next frame, but couldn't seal the deal, as Xiao fought back to tie the match again at 10-10.

Higgins then claimed the next frame and picked out a brilliant red on his way to a break of 41, to move one frame from victory at 12-10.

Although Xiao exploited his missed opportunity in the next frame to pull one back, Higgins eventually won 13-12 to set up a mouthwatering quarterfinal with his fellow class of '92 alumnus, three-time world champion Mark Williams, who beat Hossein Vafaei in another round of 16 showdown.