John Higgins and Mark Selby open Shanghai Masters campaign with convincing wins

ByEurosport

Updated 13/11/2017 at 18:12 GMT

John Higgins shrugged off his 6-0 defeat to Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Champion of Champions to complete a 5-2 win over Alexander Ursenbacher in Shanghai.

John Higgins

Image credit: Imago

After producing an uncharacteristically error-strewn display in losing to O'Sullivan in the group stage in Coventry, the four-times world champion cut a dominant figure to progress to the last 64 of the event with breaks of 131 and 73 the highlight of a professional display.

The Scotsman led 2-0, 3-1 and 4-1 before finally concluding matters with his young Swiss opponent missing too many balls.

Shanghai Masters

Superb plant from O'Sullivan against Hawkins

00:00:14

16/09/2018 at 12:50

Higgins - winner of this tournament in 2012 - will face Ian Preece for a place in the last 32.

World champion Mark Selby enjoyed a 5-2 win over world number 91 Ian Burns after trailing 2-1 early on.

Burns had the chance to move 3-1 clear at the interval, but was haunted by seeing the final red stay out as Selby restored parity at 2-2 before breaks of 68, 120 and 132 saw the world number one into the last 64 and a meeting with Chris Wakelin.

Elsewhere in the first round, Mark Allen completed another notable 5-1 victory over Yan Bingtao, who beat Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan before losing 9-2 to Allen in the last four of the International Championship a fortnight ago.

The Northern Irishman ran in a 73 break on his way to a 4-0 lead. Bingtao prevented the whitewash by pinching the fifth frame, but a closing knock of 102 gave Allen an impressive victory.

Eurosport Player One Year Pass for just £29.99

Latest results

Pre-qualifying round

Billy Joe Castle 5-2 Zhang Jiangkang
Li Zhen 3-5 Chen Feilong
Soheil Vahedi 5-2 Ma Chunmao

Round of 128

Mei Xi Wen bt Ding Junhui W/O
John Higgins 5-2 Alexander Ursenbacher
Liang Wenbo 5-2 Rod Lawler
Soheil Vahedi v Sam Baird
Mark Selby 5-2 Ian Burns
Li Zhen v Stuart Carrington
Billy Joe Castle v Rory McLeod

First round

Tom Ford 4-5 Jimmy Robertson
Lee Walker 4-5 Kurt Maflin
Ryan Day 4-5 Yu De Lu
Yan Bingtao 1-5 Mark Allen
Jack Lisowski 5-1 Chris Totten
Fergal O'Brien 5-4 Mitchell Mann
Mark King 2-5 Jamie Jones
Michael Georgiou 3-5 Ben Woollaston
Zhou Yuelong 5-4 Sanderson Lam
David Gilbert 5-0 Mark Joyce
Wang Yuchen 1-5 Mark Williams
Graeme Dott 5-3 Xiao Guodong
Robert Milkins 5-4 Lyu Haotian
Michael White 5-4 Mark Davis
Akani Songsermsawad w/o vs. Stuart Bingham

Shanghai Masters

Join 3M+ users on app

Stay up to date with the latest news, results and live sports

Download

Scan me