Higgins won the World Championship in 1998 and 2007

Higgins battled back from 4-2 down to level at 4-4 in Aberdeen but the Hong Kong star took the deciding frame to book his place in the quarter-finals.

But Higgins said the table was to blame for two "monstrous kicks" that played their part in his defeat.

Earlier, Ronnie O'Sullivan produced a solid display to reach the last eight.

"I've played every match on that table and I got accustomed to the kicks, but I got two monstrous kicks in the last frame," said Higgins.

606: DEBATE This tournament has been ridiculous. 120 matches to eliminate 32 players. faf

"You know it's coming but it's still not easy to take.

"It was a good match but I missed a few easy shots. I was in control of the match at 1-0, but at 50 ahead I missed an easy red into the middle."

O'Sullivan recorded breaks of 56, 61, 49, 78, 69 and 68 as he saw off the challenge of Michael Judge 5-2.

But former world champion O'Sullivan, who has not won a ranking event for 31 months, offered a low-key verdict on his victory.

"I played alright, but I think the less I say the better sometimes. I get myself in trouble otherwise," he said.

O'Sullivan's next opponent will be Northern Ireland's Joe Swail, who overcame Marcus Campbell by the same 5-2 margin.

Shaun Murphy, the 2005 world champion, also progressed to the last eight with a 5-3 win over Welshman Ryan Day.

But the most emphatic victory of the afternoon session came from Gerard Greene, who reached the fifth quarter-final of his career with a 5-0 whitewash of Ricky Walden, which he rounded off with breaks of 101 and 91.

"I got off to a good start and my safety, for a change, was very good," Greene commented.

"During the summer I had a lot of time off because the club I played at closed down and all the other clubs I tried didn't want me.