Family-man John Higgins revealed he contemplated pulling out of this year's World Championship. The all-time great, 49, is a red-hot contender for the title having won two of the last three events heading to the sport's spiritual Sheffield home.

But the third seed's preparations were disrupted after wife Denise's father suffered a heart attack in the week leading up to the tournament. The overwhelmed all-time great choked back tears following his 10-7 first-round victory over Joe O'Connor after a testing time off the table.

Asked if he considered withdrawing from the sport's showpiece, the Scot replied: "That would definitely have been in my thinking.

"It was the most emotional I've ever felt coming to play with everything that's gone on in the last few days.

"My father-in-law's not been great. Luckily he's back home, he got back home over the weekend. He's just resting and recuperating now which is great.

"[Once] I knew he was okay and my wife was okay so I could come down then. I was so emotional with everything it just took it out of me."

Having dinner with son Oliver invoked memories of years gone by when his father John Snr, who sadly passed away in 2011, used to make the annual pilgrimage to the Crucible with him.

And the great 33-time ranking-event winner, who plays Xiao Guodong in the last 16 tomorrow, added: "A lot of other sports you don't have that crossover because you'd be retired in days gone past as a snooker player.

"I'm still competing at the top level and I've got those memories and I'm thinking about sitting with my own dad, just like I was sitting with Oliver having dinner.

"I look the exact same as my dad, I probably talk like my dad and walk like my dad.

"I came out a different player in the evening. I came out like I wanted to make him proud."