Was Jack Lisowski's epic £150,000 break as good as Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins' Crucible masterpiece against Jimmy White? - 'Magic'
Published 01/03/2026 at 10:37 GMT
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Jack Lisowski produced arguably the greatest break of his career as a brilliant 78 against John Higgins saw him edge a pulsating battle 6-5 in the Welsh Open semi-finals, a win that earned him a huge £150,000 bonus. The audacious nature of the break has been compared to Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins' memorable Crucible contribution of 69 in the 1982 World Championship semi-finals against Jimmy White.
'Off-the-charts brilliant' - Lisowski wraps up win in decider
Video credit: TNT Sports
"I was thinking just pot, don’t stop potting until you hear them clapping," Jack Lisowski said on TNT Sports after producing a breathtaking match-winning 78 break against John Higgins to seal a Welsh Open final spot and a £150,000 bonus.
"I had some stinkers, angle shots. You don’t want the cutbacks when there is a lot of pressure on it.
"They were going in, and I was playing some really good stuff. I was trying to stay calm.
"I hit some good shots. What can I say?"
Lisowski, nicknamed Jackpot, hit the Jackpot with a series of unlikely pots to remain at the table after Higgins failed to sink a tricky longish red in the deciding frame of a high-quality joust.
Higgins had led 3-1 before Lisowski threw caution to the wind in leading 4-3 then 5-4 with breaks of 95, 79, 138 and 58 as both men suddenly ran into some peak form in a frantic dash for the finishing line.
Ideal position under pressure seemed to elude Lisowski in the decider, but he just kept potting in a style reminiscent of Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins' do-or-die 69 break against Jimmy White in the 1982 World Championship semi-final.
One wrong move could have handed the £150,000 bonus to Mark Allen, awarded to the most consistent player at the Home Nations Series events, whose 4-2 defeat to David Grace in the first round opened the door for Lisowski to pocket the money in spectacular fashion.
"What a match, what a frame," said the recent Northern Ireland Open champion, who faces Barry Hawkins in the best-of-17 frame final on Sunday.
"Probably as much pressure as I'm ever going to experience. It was the most satisfying frame I've ever played.
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"I'm proud of myself and looking forward to the final. I kept potting and going for my shots.
"It was the biggest frame I've ever won."
Higgins apparently compared Jack Lisowski to football great Diego Maradona while Lisowski described Higgins as a "god" in a match that was from a higher plane.
"Jack went for so many balls, and they all went in," said Jimmy White on TNT Sports. "Fabulous to watch. Dream stuff.
"John Higgins played fantastic in this match, but he will appreciate that what Jack produced there was magic."
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'What a pot' - Lisowski sinks red from jaws of pocket
Video credit: TNT Sports
How good was the Hurricane's break?
Alex Higgins won two world titles, against John Spencer in 1972 and Ray Reardon in 1982, but the second was the solitary world trophy he carried off at the Crucible.
In the semi-finals against White, he trailed 15-14 and 59-0 when he came to the table. On the cusp of defeat, he produced a series of unbelievable pots, almost potting balls at will in refusing to return to his seat.
The clearance of 69 on his way to a 16-15 win over White is widely regarded as one of the finest, a totem of the times, at the Crucible before he usurped Reardon 18-15 in the final.
There is a pot on the blue to a baulk bag when he has made only 13, which is particularly fearsome. In days of heavier balls and slower clothes, Higgins shaped the table against the odds.
"It was a mental break, it was phenomenal," White told TNT Sports. "I didn't think he would clear up, no. There were about four shots he played that were amazing.
"His name was on the trophy that year. Did it cost me the World Championship? At that time, I didn't care if I won or lost because I was having such fun.
"In 1979 and 1980, I went to Australia to play in the amateur World Championship, which cost me two years of experience at the Crucible. Who knows? Maybe it was meant to be because I'm still playing now."
Joe Johnson described Higgins as an "unbelievable" talent.
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'Spellbinding snooker' - Lisowski picks off rapid century
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"That break was some kind of magic," said Johnson, who beat Davis 18-12 to win the 1986 world title as a 150-1 outsider.
"I played Alex Higgins many, many times. We toured the Middle East together, and I loved him as a guy.
"He could be quite eccentric: one minute you knew where you were with him, the next he was a completely different person.
"But that is the enigma of Alex Higgins. I loved him, and I thought his snooker was unbelievable."
Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the Welsh Open, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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