Rank outsider Peter Lines was today bidding to continue his snooker fairytale – after two stunning upsets at the Telford International Centre.

The world No 64, who turns 40 on Friday, dumped two-time champion Mark Williams out of the Pukka Pies UK Championship with a thrilling 9-8 victory last night.

That came after Hong Kong’s Marco Fu had fallen on Monday to the little-known Lines, who is now appearing in his first quarter-final since the China Open in 1999.

He faces Scotland’s Stephen Maguire for a place in the semi-finals today in what will be his first televised clash since losing 5-0 to Chris Small in the first round of the 2002 British Open – which was also held in Telford.

“I’m absolutely delighted, completely over the moon” said Lines, who is based in Leeds.

“I’ll be on the television tables now, and I just hope I can play like I have in the qualifiers and in my first two matches. I hope I don’t get out there and freeze.”

World champion John Higgins was today planning to relax in the Telford shops after a night of high drama.

Higgins saw off Aussie Neil Robertson 9-8 to set up a quarter-final with China’s Liang Wenbo tomorrow.

Fortunes swung repeatedly in an engrossing contest, and the amiable Scot admitted he was grateful for having time to recover.

“I’ve got a day off now, which is great, because I can relax and come down off the high,” he said.

“It was such a high beating Neil 9-8 the way it happened, so I just want a bit of a boring day to recover – I’ll maybe do some shopping and get some Christmas presents.”

Chinese sensation Ding Junhui faces Ali Carter in the other quarter-final today, while World No 1 Ronnie O’Sullivan is up against Mark Selby tomorrow.