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JOHN Higgins staggered into the quarter finals of the UK Championship with a 9-8 victory over Neil Roberston here in Telford.
Higgins of course lost his previous encounter against Robertson at the Grand Prix in a nerve jangling semi final and clearly relished the chance to put the record straight as he fired in a break of 66 to take the opening frame. Any time these two players meet you are guaranteed high quality snooker- and it is just a shame the draw had pitted them in the second round rather than in the latter stages of the tournament. Robertson is not easily phased by high breaks and promptly replied in kind with one of his own - an 80 to cancel out Higgins's opening salvo of 62.
Higgins though was soon back in front in taking the third frame with two runs of 30 and 31, and then chiselled out a 4-2 lead with the help of 49 a to counter an effort of 43 from the Australian. Back though came Robertson with a break of 68 to chop his deficit to just one frame at 3-2. Breaks of 40 and 41 re-established Higgins lead at 4-2, and indeed he managed to stretch that advantage to 5-2 with the help of a 51. Robertson though was in no mood to allow Higgins to get too far in front and took the rfinal frame of the session to trail 5-3 at the mid session interval.
But we had no clue of the drama that was to unfold in the final session as Robertson got off to the best start possible with a clearance of 127. It was just the boost he needed as he fired in a 44 to level the match at 5-5.
So there was everything to play for but Higgins wasn't prepared to allow Robertson to dictate for the rest of the evening the way he had done in the opening two frames. Two breaks of 53 and 48 saw John take the lead again at 6-5 before he again opened up a two frame lead with truns of 47 and 39 to hold a 7-5 advantage at the mid session interval.
The interval left John in a more relaxed frame of mind- Neil though must have been fuming as he had worked so hard ot get back into the match only to be back in the position he had found himself in at the start of the second session. And it was clearly playing on Neil's mind as he then made two costly errors to hand John an 8-5 lead. Firstly when well placed among the balls on 17 he tried to squeeze the red into the pocket -but hit the pink forst in the process, to compound that he also in trying to roll a red in dead weight along the cushion left it sitting in the jaws and Higgins gifted a simple chance rubbed salt into the wound by rattling in a break of 61that left Neil needing a snooker that he wasn't to get. Higgins now was surely in the last eight.
Or was he - Neil Robertson certainly didn't agree with the script and with skill and tenacity fought his way back into the match, he took the fourteenth with a break of 57 to close to 8-6. Still though Higgins was in a very strong position, but he certainly didn't bargain for Neil taking the next two frames to level at 8-8 and send the match into a final frame shoot out. Groundhog day - and the memories of Glasgow must have come flooding back where John lost a deciding frame to the Australian on the final black. Surely lightening was not going to strike twice. With the momentum firmly with him Neil had the first opportunity when John tried to cut a red back to the corner and left it sitting in the jaws. Admittedly the cue ball was back in baulk but Neil got down and stunned the red into the top corner pocket. The black followed- was he about to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It certainly looked like it until a kick intervened forcing Neil to play safe. Steering the cue ball back to baulk Neil left the table with a look of disappointment on his face. He had left John a long red to the corner.
Steady as a rock the Higgins cue action did the rest as the red flew into the top corner pocket and with a deep breath Higgins set about rstroking in a telling break of 69 to leave Neil needing a snooker. He was not to get it and minutes later Higgins slammed in the final red to rubber stamp a 9-8 victory and set up a quarter final with Liang Wenbo who thrashed Mark King 9-2.
Suzy Jardine
Higgins of course lost his previous encounter against Robertson at the Grand Prix in a nerve jangling semi final and clearly relished the chance to put the record straight as he fired in a break of 66 to take the opening frame. Any time these two players meet you are guaranteed high quality snooker- and it is just a shame the draw had pitted them in the second round rather than in the latter stages of the tournament. Robertson is not easily phased by high breaks and promptly replied in kind with one of his own - an 80 to cancel out Higgins's opening salvo of 62.
Higgins though was soon back in front in taking the third frame with two runs of 30 and 31, and then chiselled out a 4-2 lead with the help of 49 a to counter an effort of 43 from the Australian. Back though came Robertson with a break of 68 to chop his deficit to just one frame at 3-2. Breaks of 40 and 41 re-established Higgins lead at 4-2, and indeed he managed to stretch that advantage to 5-2 with the help of a 51. Robertson though was in no mood to allow Higgins to get too far in front and took the rfinal frame of the session to trail 5-3 at the mid session interval.
But we had no clue of the drama that was to unfold in the final session as Robertson got off to the best start possible with a clearance of 127. It was just the boost he needed as he fired in a 44 to level the match at 5-5.
So there was everything to play for but Higgins wasn't prepared to allow Robertson to dictate for the rest of the evening the way he had done in the opening two frames. Two breaks of 53 and 48 saw John take the lead again at 6-5 before he again opened up a two frame lead with truns of 47 and 39 to hold a 7-5 advantage at the mid session interval.
The interval left John in a more relaxed frame of mind- Neil though must have been fuming as he had worked so hard ot get back into the match only to be back in the position he had found himself in at the start of the second session. And it was clearly playing on Neil's mind as he then made two costly errors to hand John an 8-5 lead. Firstly when well placed among the balls on 17 he tried to squeeze the red into the pocket -but hit the pink forst in the process, to compound that he also in trying to roll a red in dead weight along the cushion left it sitting in the jaws and Higgins gifted a simple chance rubbed salt into the wound by rattling in a break of 61that left Neil needing a snooker that he wasn't to get. Higgins now was surely in the last eight.
Or was he - Neil Robertson certainly didn't agree with the script and with skill and tenacity fought his way back into the match, he took the fourteenth with a break of 57 to close to 8-6. Still though Higgins was in a very strong position, but he certainly didn't bargain for Neil taking the next two frames to level at 8-8 and send the match into a final frame shoot out. Groundhog day - and the memories of Glasgow must have come flooding back where John lost a deciding frame to the Australian on the final black. Surely lightening was not going to strike twice. With the momentum firmly with him Neil had the first opportunity when John tried to cut a red back to the corner and left it sitting in the jaws. Admittedly the cue ball was back in baulk but Neil got down and stunned the red into the top corner pocket. The black followed- was he about to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It certainly looked like it until a kick intervened forcing Neil to play safe. Steering the cue ball back to baulk Neil left the table with a look of disappointment on his face. He had left John a long red to the corner.
Steady as a rock the Higgins cue action did the rest as the red flew into the top corner pocket and with a deep breath Higgins set about rstroking in a telling break of 69 to leave Neil needing a snooker. He was not to get it and minutes later Higgins slammed in the final red to rubber stamp a 9-8 victory and set up a quarter final with Liang Wenbo who thrashed Mark King 9-2.
Suzy Jardine