John Higgins held his nerve to get the better of Mark Allen 13-12 in a Crucible epic that set the World Championship alight on Monday night.
Higgins had looked beaten at 10-7 down and then again when trailing 12-11, especially when he left the green ball close to the pocket as Allen closed in on victory.
But the Northern Irishman missed the thin cut, leaving Higgins with a chance which he grabbed with both hands, potting a nerveless pink to the centre pocket to take the match the distance.
Allen was in first in the decider and again Higgins looked to be heading for the exit door only for Allen to miss a red with the rest on 62, three or four pots from the winning line.
What a victory for John Higgins at the Crucible, he clears the table from 62-0 down in the deciding frame to beat Mark Allen 13-12 and reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship.#Snooker
— Nick Metcalfe (@Nick_Metcalfe) April 29, 2024
Higgins came to the table needing to clear it to somehow win and, beginning with a trademark double upon which the entire match rested, he set about doing that.
A misjudged pot on the penultimate red left Higgins low on the black to complicate matters but he powered in the difficult final red and went on to clear the colours in a show of defiance and determination that had at times appeared to have left him.
As the blue, pink and black were each despatched, Allen could only wonder how he'd managed to let the match slip through his fingers, as Higgins held his arms aloft before accepting the typically generous praise of his vanquished opponent.
It was just the eighth World Championship match at the Crucible to be decided on the final black. It might have taken the tournament time to catch fire, but on the night which also saw Stuart Bingham beat Jack Lisowski 13-11, catch fire it did.
Asked where the clearance ranks in his career, Higgins told World Snooker Tour: "It's the best. It will live with me forever. After everything that has gone before over the last two years, to stand up under the most intense pressure is a very proud moment for me.
"When I came to the table I knew that the double was my only chance, and when that went in, I knew it was on. I felt calm and I just tried to stay positive and keep pushing the cue through straight.
"This should do wonders for me because I know I can do it, and this is the hardest place to play."
World Snooker Championship: Draw and round-by-round results
ROUND ONE
Best of 19 frames (April 20-25)
- (1) Luca Brecel 9-10 David Gilbert
- (16) Robert Milkins 10-9 Pang Junxu
- (9) Ali Carter 7-10 Stephen Maguire
- (8) Shaun Murphy 10-5 Lyu Haotian
- (5) Mark Selby 6-10 Joe O’Connor
- (12) Kyren Wilson 10-1 Dominic Dale
- (13) John Higgins 10-6 Jamie Jones
- (4) Mark Allen 10-6 Robbie Williams
- (3) Judd Trump 10-5 Hossein Vafaei
- (14) Tom Ford 10-6 Ricky Walden
- (11) Zhang Anda 4-10 Jak Jones
- (6) Mark Williams 9-10 Si Jiahui
- (7) Ding Junhui 9-10 Jack Lisowski
- (10) Gary Wilson 5-10 Stuart Bingham
- (15) Barry Hawkins 8-10 Ryan Day
- (2) Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-1 Jackson Page
ROUND TWO
Best of 25 frames (April 25-29)
- David Gilbert 13-4 Robert Milkins (16)
- Stephen Maguire 13-9 Shaun Murphy (8)
- Joe O'Connor 6-13 Kyren Wilson (12)
- (13) John Higgins 13-12 Mark Allen (4)
- (3) Judd Trump 13-7 Tom Ford (14)
- Jak Jones 13-9 Si Jiahui
- Jack Lisowski 11-13 Stuart Bingham
- Ryan Day 7-13 Ronnie O'Sullivan (2)
QUARTER-FINALS
Best of 25 frames (All matches April 30-May 1)
- David Gilbert v Stephen Maguire (QF 1)
- (12) Kyren Wilson v John Higgins (13) (QF 2)
- (3) Judd Trump v Jak Jones (QF 3)
- Stuart Bingham v Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) (QF 4)
SEMI-FINALS
Best of 33 frames (May 2-4)
- Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 2 (SF 1)
- Winner QF 3 v Winner QF 4 (SF 2)
FINAL
Best of 35 frames (May 5-6)
- Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2
Related snooker links
- World Championship draw and results
- Top 16 player profiles for 2024 World Championship
- What is the future of the Crucible?
- Ronnie O'Sullivan's quest for 888
- History of snooker's number ones
- Ronnie O'Sullivan's maximum breaks
- Watch all the Crucible 147 breaks
- History of 147 breaks
- Snooker's GOAT: O'Sullivan by the numbers
- O'Sullivan: One of a kind
- Ronnie on the unbreakable record
- Best players never to win the world title
- Crucible memories: Ronnie's finest hour
- Crucible memories: Higgins denies Trump
- Crucible memories: White a People's Champion
- Crucible memories: Johnson stuns Davis
- Crucible memories: Foulds' dream debut
FAQs
John Higgins held his nerve to get the better of Mark Allen 13-12 in a Crucible epic that set the World Championship alight on Monday night. Higgins had looked beaten at 10-7 down and then again when trailing 12-11, especially when he left the green ball close to the pocket as Allen closed in on victory.
Is Higgins still in the snooker? ›
Stream top snooker action, including the 2024 World Championship, live and on-demand on Eurosport and discovery+ John Higgins has said he is feeling "happier" ahead of next season, stressing his intention is to return to the World Championship in 2025.
What is the prize money for the World Snooker Championship 2024? ›
How much is the prize fund? The World Championship is the richest prize in snooker with players sharing a total prize fund of £2,395,000. The winner will receive £500,000, with the runner-up pocketing £200,000 and the losing semi-finalists netting £100,000 each.
Who won the 2008 World Snooker Championship? ›
Ronnie O'Sullivan made a maximum break against Mark Williams in the final frame of his 13–7 win. That achievement made O'Sullivan the first player to have scored three 147s at the venue. Williams, ranked twelfth in the world before the tournament, fell out of the top 16 after the loss.
Who won the 2010 World Snooker Championship? ›
Robertson's only match with a top-sixteen player was in the semi-finals, where he beat Ali Carter (No. 5) decisively. Robertson became the first Australian to win the title in the modern era, and only the second after Horace Lindrum, who won the controversial 1952 championship.
How did Alex Higgins lose his money? ›
By the end of his life, Higgins had blown around three million pounds on drugs, booze, cigarettes and gambling.
Who is the richest snooker player? ›
Who is the richest snooker player in 2024? Steve Davis is considered the wealthiest player in snooker, with an estimated net worth of around $33.7 million.
How do snooker players earn money? ›
The higher the finish in a tournament, the more prize money can be earned. This is intrinsically linked to third-party earnings through sponsorship and endorsem*nts, which are more available in line with the level of success in the sport.
Who has made a 155 break in snooker? ›
A break greater than 147 has happened only once in professional competition, when Jamie Burnett made a break of 148 at the qualifying stage of the 2004 UK Championship. Jamie Cope compiled a break of 155 points, the highest possible free-ball break, during practice in 2005.
How much does a world snooker player earn? ›
Rankings
- Mark. Allen. £965,000.
- Judd. Trump. £911,000.
- Kyren. Wilson. £851,500.
- Luca. Brecel. £690,500.
- Ronnie. O'Sullivan. £659,000.
- Mark. Selby. £648,500.
- Shaun. Murphy. £498,000.
- Ding. Junhui. £466,500.
After Hendry lost the top ranking in 2007, his play began to decline, and in 2012 he retired suddenly following his loss in the quarterfinals of the snooker world championship.
Who is the greatest snooker player of all time? ›
Any remaining lingering doubt was put to rest when the Rocket matched Hendry's seven world titles in 2022. With the most Triple Crown trophies, the most ranking titles, the most century breaks made, and unquestionably the greatest natural talent we've seen, Ronnie O'Sullivan is the best snooker player of all time.
Does Stephen Hendry have a wife? ›
Hendry met his future wife Amanda (Mandy) Tart at a Pontins holiday camp when he was 16. The couple married in 1995 and settled in Auchterarder. They have two sons, Blaine (born 1996) and Carter (born 2004).
Who is the youngest winner of the snooker World Championship? ›
Hendry is the youngest champion in the tournament's history, winning his first title in 1990 aged 21 years and 106 days.
Who was a snooker and billiards player he was a world champion? ›
Pankaj Advani:
He is an Indian billiards and snooker player. He is a 23-time world champion. He has also won the IBSF World Billiards Championship 15 times.
Who has won the most world snooker championships? ›
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is Joe Davis, who won 15 consecutive titles from 1927 to 1946.
What happened to Alex Higgins, the snooker player? ›
Higgins retired from the professional tour in 1997. Diagnosed with throat cancer the following year, he died of multiple causes in his Belfast home on 24 July 2010, aged 61.
Is Higgins gone from The Tonight Show? ›
Steve Higgins has been the announcer on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon since its debut.
Where did Higgins go? ›
After holding out and requesting a trade, WR Tee Higgins has reportedly signed his $21.8 million franchise tag with Cincinnati.
