John Higgins came from 8-5 down to beat Mark Selby 10-8 – just as he did in last year’s final – to reach the semi-finals of the Tour Championship in Manchester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Neil Robertson kept up his quest for a third title as he survived a mid-match bout of frustration to beat Barry Hawkins 10-8 and set up a semi-final with Judd Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last night’s session followed exactly the same pattern as the final in Manchester 12 months ago as Selby recovered from 5-3 down to lead 8-5, only to lose the last five frames. Higgins continues the defence of his title and will meet Zhao Xintong in the last four on Saturday. Just 46 days short of his 51st birthday, the Wishaw cueman could become the oldest ever winning of a ranking title on Sunday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While he has not lifted a trophy this season, veteran Higgins has been a regular face at the business end of tournaments this season, as he continues to stretch his remarkable longevity in the sport. He has now reached six semi-finals this term and has won three of the previous five. He is set for a 93rd career ranking semi-final, just three short of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record of 96. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Selby won the opening frame with a break of 127, then Higgins looked favourite in the next until he missed a tricky pot on the penultimate red along the top cushion leading 42-24, and he paid the price as his opponent cleared for 5-5. Higgins also had clear chances in frame 11, running out of position on 47 and later missing the blue to a top corner after potting the last red, and he soon found himself behind.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another error from Higgins in the 12th, missing the penultimate red with the long rest when he trailed 39-34, let Selby in to go 7-5 ahead, and after the interval the Englishman turned the screw with a run of 131. Selby was first among the balls in frame 14 but ran out of position on 47, and Higgins launched his fight back with a sizzling long red to set up a run of 56, later taking the frame on the colours. The Scot’s break of 92 made it 8-7, and in frame 16 he capitalised on a missed blue from Selby at 46-0, clearing with 74 to square the match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another chance slipped away for Selby in the next as he lost position on 28 and had to watch Higgins make 78 to go 9-8 up. Four-time Crucible king Higgins went on to make 72 in the 18th to seal the result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt 8-5 I was just thinking back to last year\u2019s final and keeping positive thoughts,\u201d said Higgins. \u201cI\u2019ve got two great wins against Mark Williams and Mark Selby this week so I\u2019m over the moon. The first four frames tonight, I wasn\u2019t really competing. Mark gave me a couple of chances but I just felt my game wasn\u2019t there. But the game just spun around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI keep on saying it and people think I\u2019m mad, but I\u2019m a better player now than I have ever been. If people don\u2019t believe that now then that is up to them, but that is what I keep telling myself. I think my outlook on the game too, I\u2019m a lot more relaxed and in a better place, it all adds up. You still want to win and compete with these guys, you\u2019re gutted if you lose, but I\u2019m at that stage in my career now where I\u2019m just enjoying these big matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be incredibly difficult playing Zhao, he\u2019s an unbelievable champion as well and makes the game look so easy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Xintong is just two wins away from becoming the first player to complete the clean sweep of all three Players Series events in the same season as he swept to a 10-4 victory over Chris Wakelin, making five centuries in a marvellous performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having won the World Grand Prix and Players Championship within the past two months, he is closing in on a unique series slam. The \u00a3150,000 top prize this week would take his earnings for the season into seven figures, and he also retains an outside chance of making 100 centuries in 2025\/26 which could earn him a \u00a3100,000 bonus – his tally is currently 73.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With his World Championship defence to begin in just 16 days, Xintong – who celebrates his 29th bithday today – looks to be at the very top of his game. He is into his fourth ranking semi-final of the season and eighth of his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Xintong , who had never previously won a match in this event, led 5-3 after the first session with breaks of 103, 93, 58 and 120, and took the opening frame tonight with a run of 70. Wakelin pulled one back with a 71 but any hopes of a fight back soon evaporated as Zhao cruised through the last four frames with breaks of 134, 108, 50 and 101.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for Robertson, he lost his way in the early stages of the concluding session, making a series of unforced errors, and even swiped his aggressively cue in the air as his usually calm temperament let him down. But from 7-5 behind, the Australian was able to regain his composure, taking five of the last six frames to earn a blockbuster tie with Trump on Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Things weren’t going well, at 7-5 I had to regroup, I tried to hang in there,” said Robertson, the only player to lift this trophy on multiple occasions having won it in 2021 and 2022. “If I am going to have any chance of doing well in the World Championship where not every session goes your way, you need to find a way to get through it. It’s a great win because alongside John Higgins and Mark Selby, Barry is one of the hardest players to beat.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Number one seed for this event having won the \u00a3500,000 top prize at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters early in the season, Robertson is into his fourth ranking semi-final of the campaign and is looking for his second final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trailing 5-3 overnight, Hawkins got the start he needed today with a break of 98, then in frame ten he trailed 40-23 when he got the better of a safety exchange and slotted in a mid-range red to set up a break of 58 for 5-5. The Londoner added the next two scrappy frames to lead 7-5 at the interval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Robertson finally got going with a break of 75 to win frame 13, before Hawkins dominated the next with 43 and 44, then another run of 75 kept Robertson in touch at 8-7. Hawkins was on 55 with four reds left in frame 16 when he missed the pink to a centre pocket, and Robertson took advantage by making 26 then laying a tough snooker on the last red, creating an opening to clear with 33.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next came down to a safety battle with two reds left, resolved when Robertson converted a double to a centre pocket and added the points he needed to edge 9-8 ahead. A missed red to a top corner from Hawkins early in frame 18 again proved costly as Robertson made 50 and was able to nurse that lead to the winning line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The frame to go 8-8 was massive, I had a good tactical train of thought, I was thinking ahead and staying calm,” added Robertson. “I found something in my competitiveness, not playing daft shots, and that’s a good sign for me at this point of the season. Judd and I have had some amazing games which have gone all the way. He has that willingness to stick in there, which is something I admire a lot and I need to maintain that in my own game.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other table, John Higgins took a 5-3 lead over Mark Selby in a repeat of last year’s final. They return at 7pm and first to ten frames will set up a semi-final with Zhao Xintong or Chris Wakelin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Selby took the opening frame before Higgins levelled with a a break of 61 then took two fragmented frames – the second lasting 62 minutes – to lead 3-1. Selby’s run of 68 helped him pull one back and he controlled the sixth for 3-3, but Higgins finished session strongly with 87 and 56 to take the last two.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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