Lisowski Reduces Deficit Against Higgins – Snooker Freaks

Jack Lisowski won the last two frames of the afternoon to end just one behind at 8-7 heading into the concluding session of his Betfred World Championship quarter-final against John Higgins.

Lisowski is appearing in his first ever Crucible quarter-final, following an epic 13-12 win over pre-tournament favourite Neil Robertson in the last 16. He is aiming for his first ever ranking title, having been runner-up on six previous occasions.

Scotland’s four-time World Champion Higgins requires five frames to make the single table semi-finals for the 11^th time in his career. A mouth-watering contest with six-time Crucible king Ronnie O’Sullivan awaits the victor.

Higgins hit the ground running this afternoon and a superb break of 123 extended his lead to 6-3. He then had the first chance in the subsequent frame, but broke down on 37 after taking on a risky double. Lisowski worked his way back into the frame and made it 6-4.

Contributions of 35 and 33 helped Higgins to restore his three-frame cushion, before Lisowski left Higgins requiring three snookers in the next. The Glaswegian got them to throw the frame back into the melting pot. However, he eventually left Lisowski a shot on the green, which he deposited to head into the mid-session 7-5 down.

A break of 56 helped to extend Higgins’ lead to 8-5, ahead of a dramatic last two frames. Lisowski fired in a break of 63, which included a daring double to the yellow pocket, to steal the 14^th on the black. The next frame came down to a safety battle on the pink, where a loose shot from Higgins allowed Lisowski to pot it and close within one at 8-7. They were then pulled off a frame early ahead of this evening’s concluding session, which gets underway at 7pm.