Scotland’s four-time Crucible champion John Higgins defeated China’s Xiao Guodong 13-12 after a marathon ten-hour battle, booking his place in the World Championship quarterfinals, where he will face Mark Williams.Their match was paused earlier today with Higgins leading 12-11.

A critical miss on a simple black ball by Higgins allowed Xiao to clinch frame 23, saving a match point and pushing the match into a deciding session.

When they returned to the table, it seemed the 49-year-old Higgins was once again poised to seal victory. However, he missed a pink ball this time, and then inadvertently potted the pink into the middle pocket, handing Xiao another chance.
Xiao, the reigning Wuhan Open champion, seized the opportunity with a 39-point clearance, once again winning the frame on the black ball.

In the final frame, Higgins again got the first chance. Although he faltered after scoring 44 points, he regained control and compiled a match-winning break of 75 to finally close out the match.

At the Crucible, Higgins has now won eight out of nine deciding frames, reinforcing its reputation as his lucky ground for tight finishes.

This marks his 31st appearance at the World Championship and his 19th quarterfinal berth, where he will meet his old rival Mark Williams.

Over their illustrious careers, Higgins and Williams have faced each other 42 times, with Higgins narrowly leading 22-20 in head-to-head meetings. However, Williams holds the upper hand at the Crucible, having won four of their five encounters there, including his dramatic 18-16 victory in the 2018 World Championship final.

Reflecting on the nerve-wracking match, Higgins said with relief, "At 12-11, I had two really good chances. Maybe that helped calm me down. I'm just thankful that the two misses didn’t cost me the match. I was thinking at the time, ‘I’ve had my opportunities.’ When I potted the pink ball by accident, maybe the snooker gods were no longer on my side."

He also praised Xiao Guodong, "Xiao is a really tough opponent. We went toe-to-toe — some brilliant shots, some long tactical battles. I thoroughly enjoyed the match. It was fantastic to be part of it, and of course, even better to come out with the win."

Looking ahead to the clash with Mark Williams, Higgins added, "Twenty-five years ago, we were fierce rivals. Nowadays, we walk into the practice room, nod at each other as if to say, 'We're still going strong.' We're up against these emerging young talents, and we're still competing with them. I think that’s a huge testament to both of us."