FOUR-time world champion John Higgins secured safe passage into the second round of the Betway UK Championship with a comfortable and clinical victory.

The 40-year-old Scot avoided a slip-up against Irish amateur Leo Fernandez as he ran away to a resounding 6-1 success to continue his fine start to the season.

Higgins has won two of the campaign's first three major titles, and the remarkable rediscovery of his best form continued in York, with a high break of 129 the highlight in a dominant display.

“I've got a bit of confidence behind me with winning a couple of the early season tournaments,” said Higgins.

“I'd love to do well here. I've not really done well here at all so I'd love to have a good run.

“Leo didn't play very well at all, it was obviously going to be difficult. He's been away from the main arena for a few years so it probably took him too long to settle down.”

Fernandez spent 10 years as a professional but has not been on the main tour since the 2007/08 season, and it showed as he got off to a slow start.

Higgins scrapped his way through the opening frame before rattling in runs of 69, 129 and 50 to fire himself into a four-frame lead heading into the mid-session interval.

He sank a 77 break to go within one of victory, but Fernandez delayed defeat with a 51 to take the sixth frame and get his name on the scoreboard.

But it was merely delaying the inevitable, as the Scot sealed the win in the seventh frame to progress.

Higgins is bidding to win this prestigious title for a fourth time, and comes into the tournament on the back of a terrific upturn in fortunes, having endured a miserable barren spell over the past few seasons.

He is back to his best after winning the Australian Open and International Championship earlier in the campaign, and admits that the reason for his marked improvement was discovered purely by chance.

“Before the World Cup at the start of the year I was doing a few lessons with some young Chinese players,” said the Scot.

“I was telling them how to stand and then I realise I don't even stand like that.

“So I went back into the practice room and I tried to copy what I was trying to tell other people, and it seems to be working well so far.”

South Lanarkshire's Rhys Clark suffered an early exit as he crashed out in a 6-1 defeat to experienced Englishman Mark Davis.

The pair shared the opening two frames with Davis sinking a 53 before Clark responded with a break of 62.

But the talented 21-year-old failed to get another frame on the board as Davis displayed his clinical and composed nature to stride into the second round.

Meanwhile, former world champion Ken Doherty declared 'there's life in the old dog yet' as he rolled back the years in romping to a 6-0 whitewash win over veteran Tony Drago.