ANTHONY McGILL hailed the best win of his career as the shocks keep on coming at the Coral UK Championship.

The 23-year-old dumped John Higgins out of the tournament 6-5 after coming through a thrilling final frame decider at the York Barbican.

McGill, the world number 38, showed nerves of steel to sink a thin cut red into the yellow pocket as he ended the three-time UK Champion’s hopes of another title - sending him to the tournament canvas along with Mark Selby, Mark Allen and Ding Junhui.

In an enthralling match, Higgins took the first frame and really should have added the second, following a break of 51, but, from there, McGill grew in confidence.

He went in front thanks to a 67 in the third and, after Higgins missed a makeable brown to the middle, McGill led 3-1 at the interval.

That lead was increased on the resumption and McGill looked set for an early finish when, after Higgins broke down on a 46 break when 55-17 in front, he nervelessly cleared up to take the frame by a point and lead 5-3.

But Higgins responded with his best snooker of the match, showing his grit with 69 before producing his highest break of the match - a clearance of 129 - to force a decider.

That finale was tense and nervy. Higgins missed a red to the middle and a straight black, while McGill twitched a half-ball red from distance before summoning huge nerves to land a difficult final red and go on to clinch the match.

“That’s the best win of my career,” beamed McGill. “I’m over the moon. “There was a good crowd in because the other match finished rapidly, so we had the whole of arena to ourselves for most of the match.

“To be honest I thought I held myself together. John’s a diamond of a guy. He’ll be gutted but he wished me all the best.

“I was all right, but to be honest I got a lot of luck because John gave me a lot of chances. And he doesn’t usually do that. I wasn’t actually that nervous in the last frame, but I guess I was just lucky because John missed a couple of balls.

“When John went to the toilet (before the final frame) I was thinking don’t do anything stupid at the start of the frame.”

McGill added: “Thankfully I got a couple of chances and managed to take one of them. I was 4-1 up and missed a chance to go 5-1 up.

“I just got ahead of myself. I just felt as though I was playing a little bit too quick. But I took my eye off an easy pink and that turned the match. After I missed that I knew it wasn’t going to be easy match. I knew I couldn’t win easily from then."

McGill play either Matthew Selt or Ronnie O’Sullivan, who play tonight at the Barbican, in the quarter-finals and said: “A lot of people won’t know Matt Selt, but I think he’s a fantastic player. He’ll give Ronnie a harder game than people might think.

“I’d like to play both of them to be honest. I’m just glad to be in the next round because I thought I’d blown it.

“Regardless of who I play in the next round, well I’m just ecstatic.”

Higgins said he had no complaints following the defeat and, despite a confidence boosting run in the UK following a poor season, added he still had a “lot of work on to try and get back to being a contender”.

“He should have put me away earlier, I suppose,” he said. “He should have made it 5-1. He missed and let me back into it.

“I did okay to get back into it but he was missing and letting me in. It wasn’t as if I was getting in and winning the frames. He was still missing. The best player won.

“He played better than me and he did a good clearance at the end so I have got no complaints.

“There were a couple of shots at the end that were unforgivable. I missed a bad red into the middle and an unforgivable black. I was in two minds what to do - maybe try and bring the red off the cushion or try and play back for it.

“I went down and I didn’t play any shot, missed it. I tried a mad cut on a red near the end and nearly got away with it. It was not to be.”

On his opponent, Higgins believes McGill has got a big future in snooker.

He added: “You can tell he’s going to do well. He just missed a couple but he looked really composed and he’s going to go a long way in the game.

“He’s got a good head on his shoulders, which is good for Scotland.”