Higgins Blows Away Mark Allen

Allen battled back, clearing the colours to take frame four and knocking in a break of 73 in the next - but a missed red with the rest let Higgins back in to snatch the frame.

Higgins won frame seven with a single visit of 96 to finish the match.

Higgins, meanwhile, offered some advice to compatriot Stephen Hendry, who was woefully out of sorts in a 5-2 defeat by Mark Williams on Thursday.

"He doesn't really help himself, he locks himself away in his house and practises on his own. I've never done that and I don't think you can," insisted Higgins.

"You think you're hitting the ball well but nobody misses a ball in practice if you're playing on your own, I don't think that's any indication of how well you're playing, so that's maybe something he'll have to sort out, but it's only him that can do it."