Snooker star involved in bizarre moment with fan that forced referee to intervene
John Higgins has claimed a fan tried to put him off during his Players Championship win over Chris Wakelin. The Wizard of Wishaw booked his spot in the quarter-finals in Telford with a dramatic 6-5 win in the last 16 clash that went down to a final-frame decider. GettyHiggins is bidding to triumph at the Players Championship for the first time since 2021[/caption] With the match evenly poised at 5-5, Wakelin looked favourite to claim victory after building a break of 51 to take an early advantage. Higgins was able to claw his way back when his opponent missed a red, with the Scot pouncing on this to book his spot in the last eight. But things could have ended very differently, with the four-time world champion claiming a spectator at the Telford International Centre had tried to distract him as he lined up a shot. Footage from the deciding frame shows Higgins contemplating his next move before appearing to address the member of the crowd, while the referee can be heard asking a spectator to sit still. Speaking to SportsBoom, Higgins explained how a man in the crowd had deliberately positioned himself in his eyeline. He said: “It was just a guy when I was going into the green pocket, he started handing something over to his mate. “And then, like he was, he’s laughing at me as if he’s sort of put me off.” Despite the attempted distraction, Higgins was able to keep his cool and get the job done. And the 49-year-old credited his recent run of form with helping him to hold his nerve in the decisive moment. Higgins picked up his first ranking title in four years at the World Open in China earlier this month. GettyHiggins managed to block out external distractions at the Players Championship[/caption] GettyThe Wizard of Wishaw was last crowned world champion in 2011[/caption] GettyWakelin came up short in his final-frame decider against the Scot[/caption] He then followed that up by reaching the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix, notching impressive wins over Ali Carter and Kyren Wilson. Highlighting the importance of his victory in China in his latest win, Higgins said: “It was massive. Even in that last frame there, you know when things are going for you. “I fancied Chris to miss that red. Whereas if I’ve not won the event and you’re maybe struggling for confidence, I wouldn’t clear up from there.” Higgins was also open in his delight at getting one over Wakelin, who currently ranks 13th on snooker‘s one-year list. He added: “He’s a good player, Chris. He’s really improved in the last couple of years. That’s a big win for me.” The match’s turning point came in the eighth frame, which lasted over an hour and levelled the scores at 4-4, with Higgins having trailed 3-1 earlier on. GettyHiggins picked up his 32nd career ranking title at the World Open in China[/caption] And the Scottish star acknowledged just how pivotal this moment wasm saying: “That’s what probably won me the match. “If I lose that frame to 5-3, then he probably knocks the wind out of my sails and Chris would have gone on to win.” After being taken to the wire by Wakelin, Higgins must now prepare to face Xiao Guodong in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship. The snooker veteran has enjoyed a resurgence of late, having bounced back after dropping out of the sport’s top 16 for the first time in 29 years. But he is now fourth on the one-year list and one of the most in-form players on the tour, and admitted his previous struggles served as a wake-up call. Higgins finished: “It’s a crazy game that I’ve played for far too long. You’ve just got to enjoy it when things are going good, because there are far more downs in this game than there are ups. “It’s the highest I’ve felt for years since I won my first ranking event.”
John Higgins has claimed a fan tried to put him off during his Players Championship win over Chris Wakelin.
The Wizard of Wishaw booked his spot in the quarter-finals in Telford with a dramatic 6-5 win in the last 16 clash that went down to a final-frame decider.
With the match evenly poised at 5-5, Wakelin looked favourite to claim victory after building a break of 51 to take an early advantage.
Higgins was able to claw his way back when his opponent missed a red, with the Scot pouncing on this to book his spot in the last eight.
But things could have ended very differently, with the four-time world champion claiming a spectator at the Telford International Centre had tried to distract him as he lined up a shot.
Footage from the deciding frame shows Higgins contemplating his next move before appearing to address the member of the crowd, while the referee can be heard asking a spectator to sit still.
Speaking to SportsBoom, Higgins explained how a man in the crowd had deliberately positioned himself in his eyeline.
He said: “It was just a guy when I was going into the green pocket, he started handing something over to his mate.
“And then, like he was, he’s laughing at me as if he’s sort of put me off.”
Despite the attempted distraction, Higgins was able to keep his cool and get the job done.
And the 49-year-old credited his recent run of form with helping him to hold his nerve in the decisive moment.
Higgins picked up his first ranking title in four years at the World Open in China earlier this month.
He then followed that up by reaching the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix, notching impressive wins over Ali Carter and Kyren Wilson.
Highlighting the importance of his victory in China in his latest win, Higgins said: “It was massive. Even in that last frame there, you know when things are going for you.
“I fancied Chris to miss that red. Whereas if I’ve not won the event and you’re maybe struggling for confidence, I wouldn’t clear up from there.”
Higgins was also open in his delight at getting one over Wakelin, who currently ranks 13th on snooker‘s one-year list.
He added: “He’s a good player, Chris. He’s really improved in the last couple of years. That’s a big win for me.”
The match’s turning point came in the eighth frame, which lasted over an hour and levelled the scores at 4-4, with Higgins having trailed 3-1 earlier on.
And the Scottish star acknowledged just how pivotal this moment wasm saying: “That’s what probably won me the match.
“If I lose that frame to 5-3, then he probably knocks the wind out of my sails and Chris would have gone on to win.”
After being taken to the wire by Wakelin, Higgins must now prepare to face Xiao Guodong in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship.
The snooker veteran has enjoyed a resurgence of late, having bounced back after dropping out of the sport’s top 16 for the first time in 29 years.
But he is now fourth on the one-year list and one of the most in-form players on the tour, and admitted his previous struggles served as a wake-up call.
Higgins finished: “It’s a crazy game that I’ve played for far too long. You’ve just got to enjoy it when things are going good, because there are far more downs in this game than there are ups.
“It’s the highest I’ve felt for years since I won my first ranking event.”
