Barry Hawkins was eliminated from the World Snooker Championships by defending champion John Higgins on Saturday.

Hawkins (pictured) was leading 3-1 at one stage at the Crucible, but Higgins stormed back into the championship’s opening match, and the Scot levelled it at 3-3.

Ditton cueman Hawkins, who was looking to make it into the second round at the fifth time of trying, still had the upper-hand at the half-way stage, leading 5-4, but Higgins found his form in the second session.

He took the first four frames when the match resumed, with breaks of 63, 121 and 67, before Hawkins pulled one back.

Higgins scored his second century break of the match to take his ninth frame and one more win sealed him a second round tie against Mark King or Steve Davis.

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