SPORT IN BRIEF

SNOOKER FOUR-TIME world champion John Higgins stayed on course for his 29th ranking title after easing into the International Championship quarter-finals in Daqing. The Wishaw player is the last Scot standing in China and has been in excellent form all week since rolling in a 145 break in his opening match last Sunday. The 41-year-old produced further heavy scoring to beat local favourite Zhou Yuelong in the last 16 yesterday. Higgins dropped the first frame despite a run of 59 but soon went 4-1 up following two 70-plus breaks. Zhou hit back with a century before Higgins controlled the next two frames to win 6-2. SQUASH SCOTTISH number two Greg Lobban looks set to defy a knee injury as he prepares to get his World Championship campaign under way in Cairo later today. The Inverness player fell heavily during last weekend’s Chicago Open final but still intends to take on South African Steve Coppinger. Top-ranked Scot Alan Clyne faces Malaysia’s Nafiizwan Adnan. TODAY Cricket Second Test, Bangladesh v England - Sky Sports 2 0430 (Fri). Football Serie A, Palermo v Udinese - BT Sport 1 1930; MLS, two matches TBC - Sky Sports 3 0000 (Fri) and 0220 (Fri). Tennis WTA Finals - BT Sport 1 0845 and 1215; ATP, Erste Bank Open - Sky Sports 1 1300. Golf WGC-HSBC Champions - Sky Sports 4 0600 and 0400 (Fri). Cycling Six Day London - Eurosport 1 0730. Motorcycling MotoGP, Malaysian Grand Prix practice - BT Sport 2 0200 (Fri). American Football NFL, Tennessee Titans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Sky Sports 1 0030 (Fri). Basketball NBA, Chicago Bulls v Boston Celtics - BT Sport 1 0100 (Fri). Snooker International Ch’ship - Eurosport 1 0730 and 1230. Hockey Men’s Asian Champions Trophy, Pakistan v China and Korea v Malaysia - BT Sport 2 1130 and 1330.