John Higgins makes 1,000th career century but falls to agonising loss to Mark Allen at English Open
By Rhys Jones
Published 19/09/2024 at 23:22 GMT+1
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Mark Allen and John Higgins produced a spectacle of snooker in which Higgins clinched his 1,000th career century, and Allen eventually prevailed 4-3 at the Brentwood Centre at the BetVictor English Open. Higgins came back from 3-1 down to level the score at 3-3 and force a deciding frame, hitting two centuries on the way there. Allen will face the winner of Chris Wakelin and Pang Junxu.
1,000 centuries! Higgins gets standing ovation for 'tremendous achievement'
Video credit: TNT Sports
Mark Allen beat John Higgins 4-3 in a dramatic contest to book his place in the quarter-finals of the BetVictor English Open.
The match's most memorable moment came in the fifth frame when Higgins clinched his second century of the match, which was the 1,000th century of his illustrious career.
Even Allen, who was increasingly under pressure from Higgins at this stage, stood and applauded alongside the crowd at the Brentwood Centre.
Higgins joins Ronnie O'Sullivan as the only players to have reached the 1,000th-century landmark.
Before that, Allen looked to have the match in his grasp while 3-1 up, only for 49-year-old Higgins to fire back and win three straight frames to set up a final-frame decider.
The final frame was even tighter than the ones that preceded it and included an incredible 30 minutes in which neither player potted any balls.
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'Absolute legend' - Allen pays tribute to Higgins after 1,000th century
Video credit: TNT Sports
Allen finally broke that run with a three-ball plant and after that, the frame suddenly exploded and Allen opened up a 43-0 lead as everything seemed suddenly potable.
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Higgins, threatening to once again come back against Allen, missed a simple pink and from there Allen could lay a snooker, and tap home the last red and green to seal the win.
"Delighted to finally win a tight one against John," Allen told Eurosport.
"Normally, when I win it's one-sided, so it's nice to get on the right end of a close one for a change."
Speaking about Higgins' achievement, Allen gave his praise and plaudits to his opponent and said he was happy to be part of the moment.
"I wanted John to have his moment when he did it and enjoy that 1,000th century. I thought he'd underhit the blue a little," Allen said with a laugh.
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'Goodness me!' - Higgins makes 'absolutely humongous' fluke
Video credit: TNT Sports
"But we were just about to start the next frame and I congratulated him on my own, and he actually said to me 'I'm glad I've done it against someone like you,' so that means a lot coming from someone like John.
"I actually said to him at the end: 'It's a shame you have to be on the losing end after creating a massive moment.' Because what a guy John Higgins is and thoroughly deserves it.
"He's just the most modest person you'll ever meet considering he's one of the all-time greats of the sport. He's just John Higgins and he's always been that way.
"From the very first time I met him, when I was 17 or 18, to how he treats me now at 38, and that's just a mark of the man. He's a legend of the game.
"It was great for me to be part of that."
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'Biggest cheer of the day!' - Allen ends 30-minute wait for pot with three-ball plant
Video credit: TNT Sports
Allen picked up the opening two frames, starting with a century in the first that immediately signalled the Northern Irishman's confidence.
Higgins had slowly built a 28-0 lead before Allen built his break and transformed the frame, and a 50-plus break led into a superb clearance of 100.
He quickly broke into a 15-0 lead in the second frame before missing an easy red, but Higgins was unable to make a dent, and Allen raced to a 54-4 lead.
The third frame saw Higgins finally hit a groove in a frame that he could not afford to lose, and it did not take him long to bag a break of 50 as his confidence built.
Allen was unable to get on the board and Higgins rolled his way to a century, 108 in all, the 999th of his career after Judd Trump bagged his 998th earlier in the day.
Higgins kept pace with Allen in the fourth frame. They broke to 25-25 after Allen opened with a 25-1 lead before Allen retook it as Higgins left a red hanging over the pocket.
There was a moment when Allen looked in trouble, having missed the yellow while snookered. But Higgins then failed to land the brown and Allen returned to clinch the frame and extend his lead 3-1.
The Brentwood Centre were able to witness a little bit of history in the fifth frame, with Higgins bagging his 1,000th career century and becoming only the second man to do so.
But Allen advanced and will face the winner of Chris Wakelin and Pang Junxu in the last eight.
Stream the English Open and many more top snooker events live and on-demand on discovery+
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