The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Higgins digs deep for win
Snooker: Scot comes back after surrendering three-frame lead in York
John Higgins admits he feared the worst after surrendering a three-frame lead in his tense Betway UK championship victory against Yan Bingtao in York yesterday.
Two half-century breaks had the Wizard of Wishaw in complete control at the interval but the 17-year-old roared back to bring the scores level at 3-3.
Yet, Higgins was able to rattle off three successive frames to edge out the teen- ager and progress to the last 16 of the championship.
The four-time world champion was proud of the way he battled against the Chinese cueman.
He said: “I thought I competed well with him. My safety game was really good and it had to be against Yan. He’s such a dangerous player.
“I went 3-0 up and missed a pretty difficult red on the cushion. He then came back the way I thought he’d come back because he’s a really good player.
“The seventh frame was a big frame because if he had gone in front he’d have the confidence but I managed to nick it and then I thought I played two good frames.”
Higgins will now face Mark King for a place in the quarter-finals after the English potter defeated Belgian Luca Brecel 6-3.
King won his first ranking title at the Northern Irish Open last season and Higgins believes the 43-year-old has gone to a new level in the past 12 months.
He said: “Mark King is a different player since he won the Northern Irish Open, he looks more confident around the table. It’s going to be a real tough game. He looked good in his last match.
“He’s had some great results lately. He’s giving it everything for his family and I can only respect that.” • Watch live coverage of the UK championship on Eurosport and Eurosport Player with Colin Murray and analysis from Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.
“My safety game was really good and it had to be against Yan”