RESURGENT John Higgins wasted little time booking a berth in round two of the Betway UK Championship this afternoon - and revealed he'd love nothing more than a run at the title in York.

The Wizard of Wishaw thumped amateur Leo Fernandez 6-1 in the main arena, bagging breaks of 69, 129, 50 and 77 as he wrapped up the match with minimal fuss.

The 40-year-old arrived at the York Barbican in superb form, having picked up ranking event titles at the Australian Goldfields Open and the International Championship in China this season.

And, having worked his way back to the top of the game following a spell of indifferent form, Higgins is eyeing a fourth UK crown.

He last picked up the game's second biggest prize in 2010 but has struggled in the Minster city - a semi-final spot in 2006 his best performance at the Fishergate venue.

On his opening round clash, he said: "Leo didn't play really well at all. It was obviously going to be very difficult. He has been away from the main arena for a few years and it probably took him too long to settle down.

"It was pretty flat out there. I am sure it will pick up when the tournament starts on the TV so I will look forward to that now."

Higgins had to keep his concentration at the start of the match as a spectator interrupted the play with some loud snoring. The Scotsman revealed the man was having a seizure but Barbican officials revealed he quickly recovered.

"I thought it was me on a plane," he added. "I can snore like that when I am on a plane. I hope he's okay. I heard he took a bit of a seizure. It wasn't just snoring, he was in a bit of a bad way for a minute there.

"It was just at the start so a lot of the matches had to stop because of that."

Higgins added: "I am coming here and I have got a bit of confidence behind me after winning a couple of the early season tournaments so I would love to do well here. I have not really done well here at all.

"I think I play again on Saturday and I will try and get some practise in and get ready for that. But I would definitely love to have a run. I will stay down here. I have been staying for a couple of days practising with Ricky Walden and Andrew Higginson, which has been good. I will just try and get ready."

Asked what had proved pivotal in turning around his game, Higgins explained: "I have just altered my set up a little bit. I was out in China, before the World Cup at the start of the year, and I was doing a couple of lessons with some young Chinese players.

"I was telling them how to stand and then I realised I didn't even stand like that. So I went back out into the practise room and I tried to copy what I was trying to tell other people.

"It seems to be working so far."