Four-time winner John Higgins produced a sensational restoration from 8-3 and 9-4 down to defeat Ronnie O’Sullivan 13-12 in a final-frame Crucible epic to attain the World Championship quarter-finals.
Seven-time champion O’Sullivan was searching for an eighth title to set a brand new outright document in the fashionable period, and twice held five-frame leads in Sunday’s second session.
But Higgins received the last three frames on Sunday and maintained that type by taking the primary three on Monday as O’Sullivan misplaced six successive frames on the Crucible for less than the fifth time.
In a high-quality thriller, performed out in entrance of an enthralled crowd, O’Sullivan received the twentieth and twenty first frames to regain the lead at 11-10.
In absolutely the match of the match, and among the finest in the 49 years on the Sheffield theatre, Higgins received two frames in a row to transfer one away at 12-11, however O’Sullivan’s break of 81 pressured a decider.
Higgins had the primary probability however missed a crimson into the center at 16-0 to give O’Sullivan a lifeline, earlier than the Englishman may solely rating eight factors and failed to pot a crimson.
The Scot then made a break of 49 on his approach to sealing a match-winning body, with each gamers getting a standing ovation because the tie completed.
The 50-year-olds are two of snooker’s fabled ‘Class of ’92’, together with 51-year-old Mark Williams, with the trio having 14 world titles between them.
Higgins, the champion in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011, will now play both 2010 winner Neil Robertson or world quantity 13 Chris (*16*).
Robertson leads 10-6, with that match performed to a end in Monday’s night session from 19:00 BST.
