John Higgins overturned a four-frame deficit to achieve the semi-finals of the Cazoo Tour Championship with a battling 10-9 win over high seed Zhao Xintong.
The four-time world champion, whose place within the elite eight-strong occasion in Llandudno was solely confirmed when Kyren Wilson misplaced in Saturday’s Gibraltar Open closing, seemed out of types for many of his quarter-final on Monday.
Zhao compiled three centuries because the UK Championship winner opened up an 8-4 lead however Higgins dug deep to grind out 5 successive frames and transfer inside one in all a exceptional victory.
Zhao hit again to take the match to a decider however Higgins confirmed his expertise to arrange a last-four date with Judd Trump or Luca Brecel.
Higgins instructed ITV: “I can’t imagine I gained that. I used to be embarrassed with myself at 8-4.
“I used to be sat there pondering, ‘He’s taking part in just like the world-class participant he’s and I’m taking part in like a membership participant.
“I didn’t fancy coming again in any respect however then he began lacking a pair and I began hitting somewhat bit higher.
“I used to be nonetheless everywhere however I dragged him right down to my degree. And not using a shadow of a doubt, that’s why I’ve gained.”
The opening 4 frames had been shared however Zhao, who got here into the occasion as the highest seed, seemed the brighter and took the subsequent three to determine management with breaks of 124 and 108 alongside the way in which.
Higgins gained a scrappy eighth body to cut back the arrears to 5-3 on the finish of the afternoon session and adopted as much as take the primary of the night.
But Zhao nonetheless seemed the extra probably winner as he reeled off the subsequent three frames, knocking in his third century of the match with a 128 clearance within the eleventh body and including 71 within the twelfth.
Higgins refused to throw within the towel, nevertheless, and clawed his method again to 8-7 earlier than levelling at 8-8 courtesy of his highest break of the match, 83.
Zhao had began the match fantastically (Adam Davy/PA)
(PA Wire)
Zhao confirmed indicators of nerves as Higgins gained a fifth body in a row after a run of 59 however the Chinese language participant responded strongly to arrange the decider with a break of 64.
The ultimate body was tense with security play to the fore, however Higgins steadily constructed a lead over the course of a number of visits to the desk and finally accomplished the job.
Kaynak: briturkish.com
