John Higgins makes up for ‘heartbreaking’ Crucible experience with Neil Robertson win

John Higgins is into the World Snooker Championship semi-finals, going some way to make up for the ‘heartbreaking’ defeat in the last eight a year ago.

The Wizard of Wishaw continued his superb Crucible run with a 13-10 win over Neil Robertson on Wednesday night, which followed victories over Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ali Carter.

Shaun Murphy awaits the Scot in the semi-finals after the Magician knocked out defending champion Zhao Xintong earlier on Wednesday.

This semi-final run for Higgins comes a year after he narrowly missed out on the one-table set-up when he was painfully beaten in a decider by his old rival Mark Williams.

The Welshman edged Higgins 13-12 on the final black in the 2025 quarter-finals and the four-time world champion admits that one stung.

‘It’s a great achievement, I think, getting back to the one-table, being so close last year with Mark,’ Higgins told the BBC.

‘It was heartbreaking in a way, when you watch it on the TV because you’d love to get back there one more time.

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‘I’m managing to do it, it’ll be an amazing feeling to step out there in the Crucible, just me and Shaun, it’ll be amazing.’
Higgins has been behind in all three of his matches so far, most notably at 9-4 down against O’Sullivan before winning 13-12.

He feels constantly needing to scrap from behind gives him the belief in those situations, rather than allowing panic to set in.

‘That gives you the belief that you can come out and do it.

If you were in front and fall behind maybe some matches you’re thinking I can’t come back.

But I’m always behind I always feel like I’ve got a chance.’

There was little between the players for the entire match and for much of it the contest was a stodgy affair, with some lengthy frames as neither player gave an inch.

Centuries were tough to come by, with Robertson failing to make any and Higgins making just one, a 126 in the 12th frame.

The Scot found some rhythm in the second session, losing the first frame but then making breaks of 51, 86 and his solitary ton to level up at 6-6.

There were swings in momentum as Robertson took the next three and then Higgins made a trio of half-centuries to go on another three-frame burst,
The Aussie made 73 to go back into the lead but then Higgins scrapped his way to three more on the spin to go one from victory.

There was another long frame to finish the night, with chances for both, but it proved to be Higgins’ fourth on the bounce and 13th of the game, to make the semis.