Snooker: Defending champion Stephen Maguire and two-time world champion John Higgins booked their places in the Northern Ireland Trophy quarter-finals.
Both Scottish potters triumphed at the Belfast's Waterfront Hall, but while Higgins cruised to a 5-1 victory over Chinese qualifier Liang Wenbo, Maguire had to battle back from 4-2 down to another Scot, Alan McManus, before eventually triumphing 5-4.
Maguire was unhappy that he did not play on the main TV table, instead Higgins was given top billing. It was little surprise that the world number two refused to do his post-match press conference following his brave comeback.
McManus eased into a 2-0 and led 3-1 at the mid-session interval. And at 4-2 looked to be on course for an upset. But Maguire, twice a ranking event winner last season rallied and, added to his early break of 91, won the last three frames on the bounce courtesy of breaks of 115, 48 and 61.
Higgins, whose last ranking quarter-final was at the 2007 World Championship — a tournament he won — made his experience count to beat rising star Wenbo.
Breaks of 53 and 68 did the bulk of the damage, while Wenbo had a top break of 69. Wenbo was guilty of trying to pot his way out of trouble, part of his game which Higgins is confident the youngster will improve on.
"He plays far too openly, so he'll have to change. But I'm sure he will do, he'll learn that he has to adapt," said the world number five.
Mark Allen, the remaining Irish hope in the tournament, gave his supporters plenty to smile about with a 5-3 victory over Mark Williams, the two-time world champion.
The world number 16 raced into a commanding 4-0 lead with breaks of 106, 85, 77 and 56, but Welshman Williams hit back with runs of 58 and 68, winning three frames to reduce his arrears.
But the Antrim-based cueman held his nerve and won the eighth and deciding frame with a break of 47 to go through.
"I didn't want the interval to come, he (Mark) had time to regroup and it showed in the second session," said Allen.
"Mark fought his way back into the match rather than me making mistakes, he showed what he's capable of in those three frames he won."