John Higgins and Kyren Wilson advance at British Open

John Higgins beat fellow former world champion Shaun Murphy to claim a third-round place at the British Open in Cheltenham.

Higgins posted a 4-2 triumph, clinching victory with a break of 82 in frame six, after Murphy had threatened a fightback from 3-0 adrift.

"It's a massive scalp for me," Higgins told World Snooker's website.

"The last couple of times against Shaun, he has outplayed me. It is important for me to beat one of the top guys, and I am pleased with the way I closed the match out."

Reigning world champion Kyren Wilson also progressed, easing past Welshman Duane Jones 4-1.

Wilson said: "It was a mixed bag. I scored heavily at times, but also missed a few easy balls.

"I'm not at my best, I haven't put in as much preparation as usual because I am trying to balance family life with practice, but I still feel I can compete for the trophy."

Elsewhere, David Gilbert saw off Ben Woollaston 4-1, Ricky Walden beat Jamie Clarke 4-0 and Rory Thor edged out Mark Joyce 4-3.