JOHN Higgins stormed from behind to knock fellow Scot Anthony McGill out of the Dafabet Masters and set up a last-eight tie with Welshman Ryan Day last night.

The two-winner fell 4-2 down and looked horribly out of sorts, but he pulled it together when it mattered most and won the last four frames to keep his dreams of a third title alive.

McGill looked set to cause an upset on his first visit to the Alexandra Palace but eventually he succumbed 6-4 after four hours.

With world No.1 Mark Selby, who beat Higgins in the World Championship final in May, already knocked out, the draw has opened up for the 42-year-old.

But the Wizard of Wishaw looked far from his brilliant best in the early stages, despite a classy break of 89 – while Glasgow’s McGill held his own and came from 2-0 down to level the match at the mid-session interval.

Higgins, who has not been beyond the quarter-finals at the Ally Pally since 2012, edged 2-0 ahead.

But he wasted a golden chance to win the third frame and take firm control of the match when he twice missed while in the balls.

McGill lost the ten-minute safety exchange but capitalised when Higgins missed again to win the 38-minute frame and with that the match turned o

The 26-year-old appeared revitalised and, despite an early wobble, he drew the match level at the mid-session interval with a fine break of 122.

With momentum with him, McGill grew in confidence and won the next two frames after the interval to move 4-2 ahead

But Higgins never hides from a battle and he dug deep to win the seventh frame with a break of 67 before levelling things up in the next.

The four-time world champion was well set for a maximum break of 147 before missing on 81 but he did not let that deter him as he closed out the match two frames later.

Elsewhere, Shaun Murphy set up an intriguing quarter-final with Judd Trump after battling past Ali Carter 6-4.

The 2015 champion won the four frames before Carter responded by clawing it back to 5-4, but he had enough to reach the last eight.

Ahead of Friday’s match, Murphy said: “There could be fireworks of all colours and descriptions in that game.

“Judd is becoming a phenomenal snooker player, his break building is second only to Ronnie’s [O’Sullivan] and his tactical game does not get the praise it should.”

Watch the London Masters LIVE on Eurosport and Eurosport Player with Colin Murray and analysis from Neil Robertson, Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.