John Higgins won a dramatic deciding frame on the final black to beat Zhao Xintong 6-5 and reach the semi-finals of the Johnstone’s Paint Masters, raising his hopes of a first Triple Crown title in 15 years.
In the match of the tournament so far, Higgins hit back from 5-3 down to take the last three frames, getting the better of a thrilling decider by clearing from the last red. The 50-year-old snooker legend is into the last four at Alexandra Palace for the first time since 2018 – though he was runner-up in 2021 when the event was staged in Milton Keynes.
Scotland’s Higgins now meets Judd Trump or Mark Allen on Saturday afternoon and he is just two wins away from becoming the oldest ever Masters champion, a record held by Ronnie O’Sullivan who was 48 when he lifted the trophy in 2024. Though he has won huge titles in recent years including last season’s Tour Championship and World Open, Higgins has not landed a Triple Crown since the 2011 World Championship.
Masters champion in 1999 and 2006, Higgins is into the last four for the tenth time and he is the oldest semi-finalist since Eddie Charlton in 1983.
Both players received a standing ovation as they entered the bear pit, then World Champion Zhao took the opening frame with a break of 89 before Higgins responded with an excellent 114. In the third, Zhao led 49-30 when he stroked a superb long pot on the third-last red to a top corner, creating the chance to lead 2-1. Back came Higgins with a run of 64 to level, then Zhao regained the advantage with a break of 74.
Higgins took frame six with contributions of 43 and 37, then the seventh came down to the last red and Zhao trapped his opponent in a snooker to set up the chance to edge 4-3 in front. In frame eight, Higgins had a chance to clear for 4-4, but missed an awkward black to a top corner after potting the last red at 45-33, and his opponent punished him to double his lead. A scrappy ninth frame went Higgins’ way and in the tenth he enjoyed a huge slice of fortune as, leading 35-28, he attempted a risky long plant, missed the target but one of the reds flow into another pocket and he went on to make 58 for 5-5.
World number five Higgins had first chance in the decider and made 34 before missing a red to a top corner, then Zhao countered with 53 and laid a snooker on the last red. Higgins hit the red but left a tough pot to a baulk corner, and China’s Zhao went for it full-blooded but it rattled in the jaws. Holding his nerve, four-time Crucible king Higgins cleared with 31, punching the air in delight.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” said Higgins. “I was really lucky from 5-3 to 5-5 because I missed a few balls and got away with it, that’s the reason I am still standing here. At 5-4 I tried a plant and butchered it and fluked the red. It was fate maybe. I stayed down a little bit extra on the final black to make sure I could not miss it.
“At my age I appreciate wins like this a lot more. Even when I missed the black and went 5-3 behind, normally I would be devastated but this time I was looking around and thinking this is an incredible arena, and I just told myself not to give up. I can’t wait to get back out there on Saturday afternoon.”
Zhao, who needs to win the Masters to complete the Triple Crown but will have to wait for another chance, said: “John played really well today. In the last frame I had a chance but I missed the last red.”
Judd Trump moved another step closer to ending his 13-month title drought as he beat Mark Allen 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the Johnstone’s Paint Masters.
World number one Trump will now face John Higgins in a huge clash on Saturday afternoon at Alexandra Palace – a repeat of the 2011 and 2019 World Championship finals though it will be their first meeting at the Masters. Trump has won their last seven fixtures and will hope to continue that sequence.
Trump is into the semi-finals of this event for the eighth time and he dreams of lifting the trophy for a third occasion having landed the top prize in 2019 and 2023. The Englishman has unquestionably been the most prolific winner of the past decade but is in a barren spell as he has not held silverware since the 2024 UK Championship. Victory this week for the 36-year-old would represent an emphatic return to form.
Allen came from 54-0 down to win the opening frame with a 69 clearance, before Trump levelled in a scrappy second. Frame three was the longest of the tournament at 48 minutes and a long tactical exchange on the final blue ended with a fabulous long pot from Trump, adding pink and black for 2-1.
Northern Ireland’s Allen made a 76 to square the match and in frame five he was on 68 needing just one more red when he missed a straight-forward pot to a top corner. That proved a pivotal moment as Trump capitalised with as 50 clearance, then compiled a run of 70 in the next for 4-2. He went on to dominate frame seven to extend his lead, and made a break of 68 to take charge of the eighth, eventually sealing the result by potting the last red.
“It was a hard game, sometimes against Mark it goes a bit scrappy,” said Trump. “That was probably the worst I have played for a while so it’s pleasing to get the win. It will be a brilliant game against John, he’s my favourite player of all time to go up against. This event is on a par with the World Championship for me, the atmosphere is even better. So to play John here in a semi-final, it will be an incredible occasion.
“You need really good concentration out there. It will be special. As John gets older he is appreciated even more because we don’t know how long he will keep playing for.”
Allen said: “Missing the red in the fifth frame turned the match. I was disappointed to be 2-2 at the interval because I felt I should have been 3-1 up. Judd made a great clearance to go 3-2 up because before that he looked all at sea with his positional play, but that break settled him down and after that he got very strong as the match went on.“
The afternoon match was a great match to watch, for the neutral, or for John Higgins fans. I’m neither. Twenty years ago, in this event, Ronnie called John a “lucky bastard”. It was in jest, of course, but
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
…………………………………but…………………………………….?????