World number two Ding was edged out in a final-frame decider late on Monday night by little-known qualifier Michael Wasley, and now Higgins follows China’s great hope out of the tournament, another big name gone.

McManus said he “just fell over the line”, but it was a victory the 1994 Masters champion toiled for and carries him into the second round for the first time since 2005.

Higgins had taken the final two frames of their opening session on Monday to slow the charge of McManus, cutting his arrears to 6-3 overnight, but any momentum he might have felt failed to influence his performance on the resumption.

It was Mark Davis taking out Higgins last year, with this time McManus the man bossing a last-32 tussle against the man who won three of his world titles in a scorching spell from 2007 to 2011.

A fluked red gave Higgins the impetus to stop the early morning rot and get back to 8-4, and after losing the next to go one frame away from defeat he belatedly found some vintage form, with the 38-year-old making 111, 67 and 94 in closing the gap to 9-7.

McManus, 43, trailed in the next frame too, but Higgins missed the blue when he looked like going just one frame behind and his good friend seized the unexpected match-winning chance.

McManus said on BBC Two: “It was a bit of a tense finish. It’s never easy to put John away.

“Although he probably never played as well as he would have liked in most of the match, he came on strong towards the end and I kind of just fell over the line so I feel very fortunate.

“Now I play my fellow old-stager, Ken, and I really look forward to it. I’m sure Ken will be looking forward to it as much as I am.”