Two-time Masters champion John Higgins reached the quarter-finals of the 2013 tournament with a confident 6-3 victory over Ali Carter at Alexandra Palace.

Carter had gone 2-0 ahead, pinching frames that his opponent should have won but Higgins soon took control.

The Scot won four frames on the trot before Carter pulled one back to reduce the deficit to 4-3, but Higgins won the next two to go through.

In the all-Scotland clash, Graeme Dott beat Stephen Maguire 6-5 to progress.

Former world champion Dott took the first two frames, but Maguire responded in superb fashion, knocking in a 110 break before levelling the scores.

A break of 65 allowed Maguire to forge ahead in the match for the first time, but his opponent hit back by winning the next two for a 4-3 lead.

And despite still being able to win the next frame, Maguire conceded it in frustration to leave Dott one away from victory.

However, Maguire took the next two, including a 131 clearance, to force a decider and despite needing a couple of chances, Dott clinched a tense final frame to set up a meeting with either Judd Trump or Barry Hawkins in the quarter final.