Wu Yize of China has added another highlight to his burgeoning career by defeating four-time world champion Mark Selby of England 13-11 at the WPBSA World Snooker Championship in Sheffield on Monday.

It's both Wu's first victory over Selby and his first trip to the quarterfinals of billiard's biggest tournament.

Wu led 9-7 after the first two sessions. Both took two in the first four frames of the final stretch before Selby created a chance to cut the deficit with excellent defense in the 21st frame, but he then made a mistake trying on a red, allowing Wu to take it and further extend his advantage.

The 42-year-old Englishman bounced back in the following two frames, first firing a break of 95 and then taking another frame to keep the contest alive.

However, Wu did not let the win slip away in the 24th frame. He took several bold shots for a break of 53 that sealed the deal.

"I'm really happy to make it into the last eight at the Crucible," the 22-year-old said. "It's the first time I've won a best-of-25 match here and I also beat Mark Selby for the first time. I've made many breakthroughs for myself and that's what makes me happiest. The match was tough and exhausting. Especially against a player like Mark. I spent a lot of time in safety exchanges in almost every frame."

"What made me happy was that I could go back and forth with him. It's the first time I felt I performed so well defensively," Wu added. "I hope to make progress but I'm not thinking about winning or losing in the moment, I just want to enjoy the matches."

Wu will face Hossein Vafaei of Iran in the last eight.

In the other eye-catching battle, John Higgins put an end to Ronnie O'Sullivan's bid for a record eighth world title with a 13-12 comeback win.

The Rocket opened up two five-frame leads but was undone by a six-frame losing streak across the closing stages. Higgins struck three centuries and held his nerve in the decider to secure one of the most memorable wins of his career.

The Wizard of Wishaw will battle Australian Neil Robertson in the quarterfinals.