Players Championship 2022 - Jimmy Robertson knocks out reigning champion John Higgins to reach semi-finals
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Published 11/02/2022 at 17:39 GMT
John Higgins came into the Players Championship as the defending champion and on the back of his recent Championship League victory, but he was unable to prevent defeat to Jimmy Robertson at the quarter-final stage. The Englishman was able to come back from an early setback before claiming a 6-4 victory. It will be an all-Robertson semi-final as Jimmy faces namesake Neil.
Jimmy Robertson of England
Image credit: Getty Images
Jimmy Robertson came back from an early deficit to beat reigning champion John Higgins 6-4 in their Players Championship quarter-final.
Higgins moved into an early lead in the clash when his first-frame break of 52 helped him take the opener 72-42.
Robertson offered less resistance in the second frame as he went down 65-1, before he cut the deficit and ultimately went ahead.
Breaks of 58, 57 and 59 in consecutive frames put him 3-2 up in the best of 11 match-up.
Former world number one Higgins then levelled with a break of 68 but the lead returned to Robertson with the game’s first century - 102 - to go 4-3 up.
The 35-year-old from Bexhill then moved a frame from victory when a break of 57 helped him secure the eighth frame.
Higgins was in no mind to roll over though - continuing his form as the Championship League winner - as he halved the deficit to a single frame with an 80 break.
That left two frames up for grabs if the Scot was to win himself, but Robertson held his nerve to claim victory and secure a place in Saturday's semi-final against namesake Neil Robertson.
Afterwards, Robertson declared it the biggest win of his career.
"I'm just over the moon. Near the end, I was really nervous," he said.
"Him and Mark Selby, you don't feel safe when they need a snooker. [I was] delighted to pot that final brown. I'm buzzing at the moment. My heart was pumping out there.
"Over the years, I've struggled playing the top boys on the one-table set-up. For me, I'm still learning, but I'm getting used to it.
"I'd rate that as my biggest result. I won a tournament three years ago, but winning on a one-table set-up against John Higgins is probably my best result so far."
Higgins rued a loss of rhythm at the wrong time.
"When I had the chance to clear up the colours in the third frame and didn't, it was a bad sign," the Scot said.
"It was poor. I had a chance at the end, but I wouldn't have deserved to come back.
"I'm disappointed. It was poor. I was hitting at the ball.
"All credit to Jimmy. He's finding a new lease of form after almost dropping off the tour last season, but he'll have to play better against Neil. But he is in it and has a chance to win it."
- - -
Watch every moment of Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on discovery+.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/geo/country/flag/large/2245.png)
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/geo/country/flag/large/2208.png)