Higgins admitted he was “a man on a mission” after claiming his third UK Championship crown last month – his first major tournament triumph since serving a six-month ban for bringing the game into disrepute.
However, he was brought down to earth by fellow Scot Dott, who won their first-round contest at Wembley Arena 6-4.
Dott, who had won only once in eight years of entering this competition prior to Monday's victory, gave an early statement of intent with breaks of 115 and 65 handing him a two-frame lead.
Higgins potted his first ball in the third frame and went on to win it with a break of 68 but 2006 world champion Dott restored his two-frame lead for the mid-session interval.
Higgins produced a 55 to make it 3-2 and levelled the match in the next frame with a 73, only for Dott to edge a cagey seventh after an early knock of 46.
Back came Higgins with a 70-28 success in frame eight squaring the match again.
Dott dug deep to win a scrappy ninth frame to move 5-4 ahead, and a break of 62 in the next was the cornerstone of a match-clinching 10th frame as the 33-year-old progressed.
Next up for Dott is Ding Junhui, who beat Mark Williams 6-4.
