If Mark Allen had continued playing like that for another minute, John Higgins would be home by now. The score was 12:12 in the round of 16 at the Snooker World Championship between Allen and Higgins, the deciding frame was underway when Allen placed a not-so-complicated red ball at the exit of the corner pocket. From there she jumped away and didn’t fall into the hole.
62-0, that was a good lead for Allen, but only a good one. He knew that if Higgins punched all the balls in the prescribed order without Allen coming to the table again, the Scot could still intercept the Northern Irishman. They call it “clearance” in snooker, playing the table empty.
And Higgins played the table empty, scored 71 points in a row, after the black ball he raised both arms in the air, closed his eyes briefly before he received serious congratulations from Allen, who lovingly patted Higgins’ stomach. “This is the best thing that has happened to me in the last two years,” Higgins said later. He went into his dressing room and “screamed for 20 seconds” and a few tears were shed. “I’m so proud of myself,” Higgins said. He showed that “I can still do it”.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is also in the quarter-finals of the Snooker World Cup
The background to this emotional outburst is that Higgins is actually already past his best. The Scot was once the best player in the world, ahead of Ronnie O’Sullivan, but that was a long time ago. Higgins is now 48 years old, and he celebrated the last of his four world championship titles 13 years ago, in 2011. He hasn’t won a ranking tournament for three years. For the first time in 29 years, he was in danger of no longer being among the top 16 players in the world rankings.
But now this clearance, a demonstration of the strength of nerves that has always distinguished him. There were complicated balls, and in between he played an outstanding double when, in an emergency, he didn’t punch the red ball directly, but over the long boards into the middle pocket. “When I came to the table I knew the double was my only chance,” said Higgins: “I have to pat myself on the back.” Allen also said he had given up hope after this double: “I knew he would pull it off.”
In the quarterfinals, Higgins will now face Kyren Wilson, number twelve in the world rankings; In this constitution, Higgins should definitely have a chance of making it to the semi-finals. Judd Trump (in the quarterfinals against Jak Jones) and Stephen Maguire (against David Gilbert) are also still in the tournament. And of course Ronnie O’Sullivan. With his eighth title win at this World Cup, he could become the sole World Cup record winner of the modern era of snooker; He currently shares this title with Stephen Hendry. He could also achieve the feat of winning all three important Triple Crown tournaments, the UK Championship, the Masters and the World Cup, in one season.
While many other favorites, including Mark Selby, Mark Williams and reigning world champion Luca Brecel, have already been eliminated, O’Sullivan has won his games easily so far. His senses are heightened, and during his second-round win against Ryan Day he even admonished a spectator who had clapped a little too loudly for his liking in the front row. “Maybe she’s never been to a snooker match before,” said O’Sullivan: “I told her to calm down a bit.” But he felt “a little bad” afterwards and explained apologetically: “I didn’t want her to think I was insulting her.” He now faces Stuart Bingham.