Shock defeat Lisowski lets lead slip in surprise Higginson loss
JACK Lisowski let a 4-1 lead go begging as he went out of the International Championship in a deciding frame against Andrew Higginson.
The world number 11 from Churchdown looked to be cruising through after breaks of 53, 64 and 84 put him in a dominant position in Daqing.
But Higginson came back to level the match, only for Lisowski to go back in front at 5-4 and then he had a chance to win the game in frame 10.
However, Higginson pinched that frame to force the decider, which he then took to go through to the last 32.
Robert Milkins’ delayed season got off to a winning start as he came through 6-3 against China’s Zhou Yeulong.
After missing last week’s Riga Masters due to plane problems at Luton Airport, there were no issues for the 42-year-old Gloucester man as he got off to a flyer.
Breaks of 79, 73 and 85 saw him race in to a 3-0 lead, and despite Zhou having a century in the next, Milkins went into a 4-1 lead.
Zhou threatened a fightback as he had a 67 in the next and then made it 4-3 on a re-spotted black clearing up with 43 after Milkins had a break of 66.
But Milkins responded well to that setback to take the next two frames for victory.
Milkins’ run came to an end in the next round when he went down 6-3 to
Welshman Jak Jones, who had knocked out double world champion Mark Wil- liams in the previous round.
The opening two frames were shared with both players having half-century breaks.
Jones then opened up a 3-1 lead by taking two tight frames on the black then Milkins hit back to 3-3, winning frame six on the black himself.
But Jones edged back in front at 5-3 and after the game was delayed to allow the evening session matches to take place, Jones completed the win.