Higgins made breaks of 131, 68 and 80 today, winning the closing four frames in rapid fashion to set up a clash with Jamie Cope in the last 16.

Higgins said: "I was delighted to get over the winning line.

“Winning 10-5 maybe looks like plain sailing but there were maybe one or two frames which swung my way which was the deciding factor.

“I’m feeling good. I’ve been playing a lot worse coming into this championship before and done okay. I feel my game is there to be found and I’ll definitely need to find it.”

Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has picked out Higgins as his main threat.

“It was nice but he’s still the man we’ve all got to beat,” Higgins added.

Cope awaits in the next round and Higgins expects a tough match against a player he has lost to before.

Cope, 23, has an attacking outlook and has made two 147 maximum breaks in competition.

Higgins said: “He thumped me in the UK Championship two years ago, he beat me 9-3, totally destroyed me and played great.

“He’s young, he’s exciting, he likes to go for his shots and it’s a game to look forward to.”