World Snooker Championship: Higgins advantage cut by Ding

Higgins won the World Championship in 1998, 2007, 2009, 2011.

Former world number one Ding Junhui won back-to-back frames to cut John Higgins's advantage to two frames at the end of the first session of their World Championship second-round match.

Scotland's four-time world champion Higgins, 39, looked in control after six frames, leading 5-1.

China's Ding fought back with breaks of 67 and 94 to keep in contention at 5-3.

Elsewhere, defending champion Mark Selby was 4-4 with Anthony McGill at the end of their first session.

China's Ding, who made a mess of a 147 chance when trailing Mark Davies 5-3 in the first round, made a slow start on Thursday as Higgins raced into a 2-0 lead.

Ding, 28, got himself off the mark in style with a 135 break in the third frame, but Higgins looked on course to build a dominant advantage when he won the next three frames.

That failed to materialise as instead Ding rallied to claim the final two frames of the session and boost his hopes when play resumes on Friday.