Higgins edges Williams 6-5 as Ding, Wilson and Fu win deciders to reach International Championship last eight

John Higgins won the 45th professional meeting of his long rivalry with Mark Williams on Tuesday, edging the Welshman 6-5 in Nanjing to reach the quarter-finals of the International Championship. Ding Junhui, Kyren Wilson and Marco Fu also won deciding frames, on a last-16 day in which four of the eight matches went the full distance. The quarter-finals are played today (Wednesday 4 November) at 2pm and 7.30pm Malaysia time.

Higgins comes from behind against Williams

Williams made the quicker start and led 3-1 at the mid-session interval. Higgins responded after the break with runs of 52, 53 and 60 to edge in front, then took the eighth frame on the black to lead 5-3. Williams hit back with breaks of 66 and 76 to force a decider, but the Scot controlled the final frame to complete the win.

The victory moves Higgins 24-21 ahead in a head-to-head that dates back to 1994, according to the World Snooker Tour. It is also his first ranking quarter-final of the season after a difficult start that included two opening-round exits. The 51-year-old, who lost last year's final in Nanjing to Wu Yize, called it "a brilliant win" after the match.

Higgins also made a 146 in his 6-2 last-32 win over Xu Si earlier in the week.

Ding keeps UK Championship hopes alive

Ding Junhui beat Stephen Maguire 6-5, potting the final pink to win the decider. The result matters beyond this event: Ding is one of several players chasing the 16th and final automatic seeding for the UK Championship in York, with the rest of the field going to qualifiers in Leicester.

Chang Bingyu currently holds that 16th spot on the provisional list, and he strengthened his claim by beating Yuan Sijun 6-2. Chang made four centuries in his last-32 win over Chris Wakelin and three more against Yuan, according to snooker.org. Hossein Vafaei, another player in that race, beat Si Jiahui 6-3 to stay alive.

Elsewhere, Kyren Wilson, winner of the Northern Ireland Open last week, edged Oliver Lines 6-5 after missing the 12th black during a maximum attempt in frame six. Hong Kong veteran Marco Fu beat teenager Wang Xinbo 6-5, Fan Zhengyi beat Liam Davies 6-4, and world number one Zhao Xintong saw off Aaron Hill 6-3.

Last-16 results (Tuesday 3 November)

• Ding Junhui 6-5 Stephen Maguire
• Kyren Wilson 6-5 Oliver Lines
• Fan Zhengyi 6-4 Liam Davies
• Hossein Vafaei 6-3 Si Jiahui
• Marco Fu 6-5 Wang Xinbo
• John Higgins 6-5 Mark Williams
• Chang Bingyu 6-2 Yuan Sijun
• Zhao Xintong 6-3 Aaron Hill

Quarter-final schedule in Malaysia time

All quarter-finals are best of 11 frames and are played today, Wednesday 4 November:

• 2pm MYT: Ding Junhui v Kyren Wilson
• 2pm MYT: Fan Zhengyi v Hossein Vafaei
• 7.30pm MYT: Marco Fu v John Higgins
• 7.30pm MYT: Chang Bingyu v Zhao Xintong

At the time of writing, no quarter-final had started. The semi-finals are best of 17 frames, and the best-of-19 final is on Saturday 7 November, with sessions starting at 2pm and 7.30pm Malaysia time.

What is at stake

The winner takes £175,000 from a total prize fund of £825,000. Quarter-final losers collect £22,000, and semi-finalists earn £33,000. Defending champion Wu Yize, now the world champion, is already out after losing 6-5 to Maguire in the last 32. Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh also went out in that round, despite making a 147 against Mark Williams.

Key takeaways

• John Higgins beat Mark Williams 6-5 from 3-1 down and now leads their head-to-head 24-21.
• Four of the eight last-16 matches went to a deciding frame.
• Ding Junhui and Chang Bingyu remain in the race for the last automatic UK Championship seeding.
• The quarter-finals are today at 2pm and 7.30pm Malaysia time, and the final is on Saturday 7 November.

FAQ

When are the International Championship quarter-finals in Malaysia time? They are on Wednesday 4 November. Ding Junhui v Kyren Wilson and Fan Zhengyi v Hossein Vafaei start at 2pm MYT. Marco Fu v John Higgins and Chang Bingyu v Zhao Xintong start at 7.30pm MYT.

How much does the International Championship winner receive? The champion receives £175,000 from a total prize fund of £825,000. The runner-up receives £75,000.

Is defending champion Wu Yize still in the tournament? No. Wu Yize lost 6-5 to Stephen Maguire in the last 32. Maguire then lost 6-5 to Ding Junhui in the last 16.

Sources: World Snooker Tour, snooker.org, SnookerHQ, Wikipedia