Kyren Wilson dumps out Mark Williams to reach Players Championship last four, John Higgins wins afternoon epic
Updated 19/03/2025 at 22:07 GMT
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The snooker season is heading towards the business end with just three events remaining in the 2024/25 campaign. The World Championship is fast approaching, but first up is the Players Championship, with the top 16 players on the one-year list bidding for glory. Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+.
'One of the best shots I've seen all week' - Robertson's brilliant blue in final
Video credit: TNT Sports
THAT'S US DONE FOR TODAY
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Since becoming world champion, Kyren Wilson has grown into a far more confident and authoritative player. His demeanour suggested he felt Mark Williams couldn't beat him, and he was right, dominating a match he never looked like losing. Though he relinquished a 2-0 lead, after the interval he forged in front again, playing the better safety with by far the better long-potting. Williams simply could not live with him, and he won four of five frames to set up a semi-final meeting with Neil Robertson or Mark Selby.
KYREN WILSON BEATS MARK WILLIAMS 6-3
Mark's eyes don't look right (geddit?) – he played some strange shots tonight - but Kyren has got it going on. He meets Neil Robertson or Mark Selby in the last four.
WILSON 5-3 WILLIAMS (51-36)
Down goes the second, he develops the third, pots that, then blue, and this is very nearly over.
WILSON 5-3 WILLIAMS (34-36)
You know Kyren won't get nervous with the line in sight, but there are three reds not far above black cush and he'll need them. He rams home a pink with the rest and he's on the first.
WILSON 5-3 WILLIAMS (1-36)
Goodness me! Mark gets in via fluke, leathers home a blue, goes into the pack off a red ... and pots three of them; seriously! Kyren can't help but chuckle and Stephen says he's never seen that before, which tells us everything. Meantime, Mark accumulates quickly, lest the opportunity be confiscated by the snooker gods, but a poor positional shot undoes some of his good work and then, when he returns to the table, he misses a long one to left corner that's not far from the bag. So Kyren slides to right-middle and this is his first go at finishing things.
WILSON 5-3 WILLIAMS
Can Mark find something?
WILSON 4-3 WILLIAMS (89-14)
Kyren makes the frame safe.
WILSON 4-3 WILLIAMS (57-14)
If Kyren does the necessary here, he'll be very hard to beat. Mark is, of course, capable of summoning ridiculous snooker out of nowhere, but three on the spin from here? Good luck, old mate.
WILSON 4-3 WILLIAMS (30-14)
But before long a miss brings Kyren back to the table; in comms a few minutes ago they were wondering if Mark's eyes have gone and the man himself plans to investigate after the Cruce. Anyhow, the error only costs him one, but another and Kyren is back potting. This has been a scrappy period, but I'd not be surprised if this is the last contribution of the frame.
WILSON 4-3 WILLIAMS (23-7)
Until Kyren leaves one near left corner and Mark cues beautifully across the table to nail what Angles calls the pot of the night. There are some balls there for him.
WILSON 4-3 WILLIAMS (23-6)
But he gets back to the table immediately then, when he can't get on to a pot and leaves Mark with a tricky safety-shot to negotiate, a foul-miss adds to his score before we revert to playing safety.
WILSON 4-3 WILLIAMS (12-6)
Mark foul-misses then Kyren gets in, but before long he's raging with himself after a terrible shot on the blue leaves him without a red when he had plenty of space to hit. So he takes a moment to compose, for all the good it does him, taking on one to the yellow bag and getting nowhere near. He's lucky to leave on nowt.
WILSON 4-3 WILLIAMS (0-6)
Off Kyren's break, Mark gets in, but with few loose reds he can't make anything decent of the run.
WILSON 4-3 WILLIAMS
Kyren fancies a ton but misses pink to middle. He won't mind too much though: he's back in front.
WILSON 3-3 WILLIAMS (75-1)
The frame is secured.
WILSON 3-3 WILLIAMS (28-1)
Kyren escapes well and a shot later is sending a nice one diagonally to right corner, moving across the table to the pink. This is a chance to score.
WILSON 3-3 WILLIAMS (14-1)
Kyren slots a mid-ranger but soon runs out of position, to his nauseation. And he's no happier when, after playing a good safety, Mark finds a gap to pot a beauty and snuggles into the green.
WILSON 3-3 WILLIAMS
Not for long. Kyren concedes and we're back level.
WILSON 3-2 WILLIAMS (0-66)
Mark slides a red to right-middle deadweight, and that's the frame. But a miss with two snookers needed means Kyren is back to the table.
WILSON 3-2 WILLIAMS (0-47)
Mark continues accumulating, and if he's playing his way into nick, we're in for a blockbusting denouement. This is a really good break, a few nice recovery-pots and a few nice touch-shots sustaining it.
WILSON 3-2 WILLIAMS (0-19)
Kyren misses and Mark gets in; he gets the reds open, and gets to work. If he can't take this chance, we'll know he's got problems.
WILSON 3-2 WILLIAMS
Kyren retakes the lead, and I don't think Mark is playing well enough to beat him playing like this.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS (58-4)
Kyren leaves himself a missable red to left corner, a mid-range cut, flows it home, and after Judd, is he the best recovery-potter in the game? He's going 3-2 in front.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS (42-4)
It's Kyren back in again and he's playing at quite some lick, certain he's going to pot every ball. There are more than enough loose for him to secure the frame at this visit.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS (23-4)
Kyren runs out of position so plays safe off the brown.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS (16-4)
It's a slow start to the frame as Stephen notes Mark's problems from distance and recommends Kyren keep him at range. He says that when a thin contact is missed, and shonuff when contact is made second go, there's a start to right corner available. so down it goes, and there are a fair few loose reds, but also others out of comission and blocking the route to the black.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS
Very quickly a re-rack is agreed.
WE GO AGAIN...
This is already really fun match, and the last of Mark J's forties.
WILSON 2-2 WILLIAMS
Williams comes unstuck on 68 due to a bold double, but he won't care as parity is achieved at the mid-match break.
WILSON 2-1 WILLIAMS (1-50)
Mark is motoring now and looks set to enter the interval on level terms.
WILSON 2-1 WILLIAMS (1-14)
My word, what a state this table is in now. Over half the reds are the other side of the blue and Wilson's attempts at a long red eventually all prove fruitless, including an ill-advised plant. It was only a matter of time before the cue ball would be left in a promising position for the Welshman to take advantage, and he duly does.
WILSON 2-1 WILLIAMS (1-0)
Wilson gets a huge slice of luck as he tries and fails to get in for the second time this frame, a devilish double kiss as a red glances sharply off the middle jaws helping the cue ball rest safe among a pack of messy reds.
WILSON 2-1 WILLIAMS
And despite a tricky final pink, Mark gets over the line and slices his opponent's advantage in twain.
WILSON 2-0 WILLIAMS (46-43)
But now it's Kyren's turn to fluff his lines and Williams needs brown, blue and pink to snatch a frame that really should have been his anyway!
WILSON 2-0 WILLIAMS (37-31)
Mark closes the gap ... and MISSES A BLUE TO MIDDLE! I'd not normally go to caps at this early stage, but it was a dolly and Kyren's away again. This should be 3-0.
WILSON 2-0 WILLIAMS (36-9)
But right when you're feeling untouchable, this game has a funny way of reminding you you're not, and a pink missed to right-centre offers Mark a chance to get on the board.
WILSON 2-0 WILLIAMS (21-0)
And off he goes again, a luscious opener to left corner followed by a blue, then a red with the rest that takes him across the table to the black; lovely shot. This is fantastic stuff but, as we were reminded this afternoon, those matches are long enough to give us peaks and troughs. Anyhow, Kyren doesn't love a black so goes down the table for blue, off which he'll break the pack and is he on one? Just!
WILSON 2-0 WILLIAMS
A run of 62 and if Mark isn't careful, Kyren will run away with this.
WILSON 1-0 WILLIAMS (59-9)
Kyren secures the frame with a minger of a mid-ranger to left corner, and already, Mark has some thinking to do.
WILSON 1-0 WILLIAMS (43-9)
Kyren is so comfy in his own skin it's incredible. I guess when you're certain you're going to do something difficult, then do it, you've proved your point and are spieling with house money thereafter. He'll want more world titles and more everything, but if it doesn't happen, he's got one, Meantime, he builds – it'll take a while to secure the frame as he's working with low-value colours, but he'll get there, you'd think. And, as I type, he sinks a nasty blue to the green; he's feeling himself.
WILSON 1-0 WILLIAMS (9-9)
The excellence of Kyren's safety, white left on black cush, forces Mark to try a pot into left-middle ... which he doesn't make. So if Kyrizz can send an opener to the same bag, he'll have a good chance of seizing another frame, and though his first shot isn't great, a fine cut-back black redeems it, and off he goes.
WILSON 1-0 WILLIAMS (0-9)
We're now playing in and out of the pack, reds moving down the table; when someone pots one, as they surely will, they'll have a good chance of potting several more.
WILSON 1-0 WILLIAMS (0-8)
A miss from Mark allows Kyren to slot one to left corner ... except he hits the jaws and Mark tidies, then adds the black, but overshoots, missing his next red only for The Warrior to do likewise.
WILSON 1-0 WILLIAMS
Kyren knocks safe a red he planned to pot; Mark comes back to the table then thinks better of it and concedes.
WILSON 0-0 WILLIAMS (62-0)
Kyren accumulates, the frame soon to be his.
WILSON 0-0 WILLIAMS (32-0)
Kyren's soon in again, playing with confidence and authority; I don't think I've seen anyone improve so much since winning a debut world title apart from maybe France 1998-2000. He's in terrific touch and should, at the very least, build a decent lead at this visit.
WILSON 0-0 WILLIAMS (14-0)
Kyren's in much better form than Mark, who's not done much since taking the Champion of Champions. And it's Kyrizz in first, smoking home a long red, but he soon runs out of position, playing safe.
AND OFF WE GO
OUR BOYZ BAIZE
WE GO AGAIN
And rightly so. Bit of Kyren Wilson v Mark J Williams? Oh go on then.
John Higgins won an absolute epic, trailing for the majority of the match before doing what he does and finding a way to win. He actually won the first frame, but Wakelin played beautifully thereafter, barely missing a ball in moving to a 3-1 lead. Higgins, though, did just enough to stick in there send, as the frames got longer, eventually levelled at 4-4. And, though he couldn't close out at 5-4 or when first in in the decider, when Wakelin left the last difficult ball on the lip after crafting a gorgeous break that looked likely to prove decisive, he cleared it and the colours to record a typical win and set up a last-eight meeting with Xiao Guodong.
JOHN HIGGINS BEATS CHRIS WAKELIN 6-5
It's been an absolute epic but you've got to feel for Chris, who did everything but win. John, though, moves on, and will play Xiao Guodong in the last eight.
HIGGINS 5-5 WAKELIN (47-51)
...AND OH MY COMPLETE AND UTTER ABSOLUTE DAYS, HE LEAVES IT ON THE LIP! Oh man, this game. THIS GAME! It'd been such a break, but at the very last he falters, and from here, John clears the black, and now it's colours off their spots for the match.
HIGGINS 5-5 WAKELIN (39-51)
There's a red stuck to the black and two stuck together; he plays for one of the latter but to reach it must cue over the former ... and he strikes into left-centre! Fantastic pot! The second of the balls is now free, but does he try to develop the last while potting it? He's going to ... and taps it to the top rail. Not bad, because after sinking the black he'll be there anyway, so here goes...
HIGGINS 5-5 WAKELIN (39-12)
John opens the pack and balls fan out but can he sink the next pot across the table to left corner? He can, but is he on a colour? Er, not really. There's a blue to the green, but it's high tariff and a miss would leave the world, so he plays safe ... and, from the top rail, Chris monsters a sensational long red into right corner! I bet John wishes he'd taken on that blue now, because he can't do anything sat in his seat.
HIGGINS 5-5 WAKELIN (16-0)
A handshake and off we go, then off Chris' break, John nails a glorious starter to right corner! Can he parlay it into something telling? We'll see when he breaks the pack...
HIGGINS 5-5 WAKELIN
It sure is. Chris clears to the pink, and we have waselves a decider!
HIGGINS 5-4 WAKELIN (44-59)
Now Chris misses brown to middle, and dare John go at it to the yellow bag? Certainly, but he gets nowhere near, and surely, given where it finishes up, that is the frame?
HIGGINS 5-4 WAKELIN (44-59)
John lays a snooker, Chris escapes; John catches the knuckle of middle with the green, and Chris rams it down but can't disturb the brown, just above the baulk cushion, dead centre. He then misses a go at potting it – and remember, it's frame-ball, plus blue, pink and black are in the open – so on we go.
HIGGINS 5-4 WAKELIN (44-56)
John does really well to get around the black without hitting it, he bins the last red, goes up for yellow off black, and sprawls on to the baize to send it down. But he won't be able to get from green to brown ... and he really won't be able to now, because he misses the pot; it's tense out there. it's tense in here, 200 miles away.
HIGGINS 5-4 WAKELIN (28-56)
A foul-miss from Chris, John glides a red to middle, and can he do what he does? No one in the history of the game has dished more effectively from this position, especially with a match to win – just ask Mark Allen – and you fancy him, hard.
HIGGINS 5-4 WAKELIN (0-56)
Not quite yet. He leaves the black on the lip of right corner and, with 67 left, John returns to the table.
HIGGINS 5-4 WAKELIN (0-56)
This is good stuff from Chris, but just as it looks like he'll force a decider from this opportunity he looks to have run ourt of reds. Or has he! A blue to the yellow bag, back up the table ... and he's on one! What a shot! And, after nearly five hours, it looks like we're getting the decider we and this contest deserve.
HIGGINS 5-4 WAKELIN (0-17)
It's Chris in first in frame 10 and he'll know that if it gets tactical, he'll probably lose – that's one reaosn, I imagine, that he broke up the reds in the last frame. There are points out there for him.
ON TABLE TWO
Xiao Guodong 6-5 Wu Yize
HIGGINS 5-4 WAKELIN
This is the beauty of best-of-11 matches: ebb and flow. A while ago, it looked like Chris would never miss, now it looks like he's gone.
HIGGINS 4-4 WAKELIN (71-4)
John secures the frame and, for the first time since going up 1-0, he leads.
HIGGINS 4-4 WAKELIN (34-4)
Or not, if Chris has anything to do with it: he plays a ludicrously attacking safety, opening everything, leaves a pot, and John sends it down then nuzzles up to the yellow, just above the baulk cushion. Chris misses three times, hits, and leaves a starter. This should mean the frame.
HIGGINS 4-4 WAKELIN (20-4)
Too straight on a diagonal black to corner, John tries to force an angle for position and misses but Chris, looking to willpower his way back into form – it seems a long time ago he was potting everything in sight, I guess because it was – can't sink a long shot. He's struggling now, but John can't make much of the opportunity he's given; this could be another marathon.
HIGGINS 4-4 WAKELIN (3-4)
Yet more drama, and we've only just started the frame! John misses his roll-up and Chris wants to check the screen once he's been replaced; he hits second time and leaves one to right-centre, but can Chris hold for a colour? Well he tries, but in the process leaves it short – the line was fine – and now John has a chance.
ON TABLE TWO
Xiao Guodong 5-5 Wu Yize
HIGGINS 4-4 WAKELIN
Imagine we have three more frames like the last two!
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (76-59)
Now then. Chris leaves a long blue to the green, and John not only pots it, but gets on to the pink! It's not easy, needing sent from left side to the same bag ... but down it goes! A 67-minute frame goes with the maestro!
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (65-59)
Second time, Chris hits, but soon leaves the brown, knocked by John into right corner, but the blue is on the baulk line and side rail; the chase for it is on.
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (61-59)
Nothing more potted as this epic frame passes the hour-mark, but has John left a tight cut to the green bag? I think he has, you know! But guess what?! Chris somehow snookers himself on the brown in the process of cutting it home, misses his escape, and is promptly replaced.
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (57-56)
From near the baulk cushion, John goes at a long one, fluking a snooker instead; it is, though, a simple escape, as the frame passes the 53-minute mark.
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (57-56)
Escaping a snooker, John flukes one, and though Chris gets out of it, he leaves the yellow ... but no passage to the green. The chase is on.
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (55-56)
Blue, red, blue and Chris won't need the pink, not far off the side-rail and down the table. But he's too straight on the second of the two, covering eyes with hand while he thinks about what to do. He could go at the brown, but instead does as planned, then tries a snooker off the yellow, missing. This frame has been going 45 minutes and resolution is not necessarily imminent.
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (55-44)
Goodness me, John fouls, leaves a free ball, and Chris sinks the green then comes up the table for a red. This should be 5-3.
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (55-34)
Left a red to left-centre, Chris slides it down nicely, but can add no more. The chase for the final two reds is on.
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (55-33)
Forced to cue over the green, Chris hits his red of choice ... that hits another and drops into right corner. So it's in between green and baulk cushion, John missing with his first attempt to hit one of the three remaining reds, stuck together on the top rail; he misses six times, getting extremely close on the last such that Chris chuckles in his seat. And selah! He hits seventh go, and a frame that was almost over is now bang in the balance.
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (55-8)
Pink and black are both on side rails, so John's lead is worth more than the score tells us, and a red to right corner with the rest will leave Chris almost done in the frame. But he can't force it down, the lead 47 with 59 left. Given reds just above the top cushion, it'd be some steal from here, though the black is soon brought back into play.
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (37-8)
John tickles one red into another up the business end ... and it bounces off black cush and into the yellow bag! The balls are running for him now, he sinks a lovely blue, and from here should equalise.
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (31-8)
While my net is down, John's break comes to an end and, judging by what our commentators say, Chris misses one he shouldn't. This is getting bitty and nervy now; exactly the environment in which The Wiz thrives.
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (31-8)
Disaster strikes! My daughter advises me our toaster is bust. Then my internet drops out! It's all go here. But John is still at the table potting, and it looks like we'll soon have parity for the first time since 1-1.
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN (2-8)
There's a bounce in John's stride as he sinks a starter then moves around the table for the black. Gosh, but he overcuts, leaves it on the lip, and with it myriad available balls. Chris isn't playing as fluently as before, but if he can convert this chance into something meaningful, he'll be nearly hame. Except, as I type, he misses to middle one that ought to go down, and he's dropped a few levels; can John raise a few?
ON TABLE TWO
Xiao Guodong 4-4 Wu Yize
HIGGINS 3-4 WAKELIN
Chris will fear he's run out of his best stuff and only leads by one; John will hope winning that frame triggers a necessary improvement.
HIGGINS 2-4 WAKELIN (72-0)
John secures the longest frame of the match. Like many before him, Chris can't shake him off.
HIGGINS 2-4 WAKELIN (38-0)
Ach, John just can't force himself upon this match, fighting hard to get in next but running out of position with just eight added. But Chris then gets away only to miss a blue to the yellow; perhaps he's cooling. So here comes John, seeking to win this frame at the time of asking.
HIGGINS 2-4 WAKELIN (29-0)
Gradually, reds are moved to the bottom half of the table, the lack of a cluster to drop on to making things much harder. But for now, it's still a stalemate.
HIGGINS 2-4 WAKELIN (29-0)
Chris is now the favourite for this match, which brings pressure, but currently we've been seven minutes without a pot as the players hide reds from white.
HIGGINS 2-4 WAKELIN (29-0)
Off Chris' break, John gets away to right corner and adds the black, crafting a chance ... only to run out of position just when he's ready to run away. He is not best pleased with this turn of events.
ON TABLE TWO
Xiao Guodong 3-3 Wu Yize
HIGGINS 2-4 WAKELIN
Chris is the better, more confident player, and that's why he's winning.
HIGGINS 2-3 WAKELIN (6-64)
Chris secures the frame.
HIGGINS 2-3 WAKELIN (6-41)
John goes at one to left corner, misses, and this is a chance for Chris to seize another frame. Right now, it feels like at some point, he'll do enough to win.
HIGGINS 2-3 WAKELIN (6-41)
Chris builds a useful lead then, looking to cut an unpleasant little red to left corner, sinks it beautifully. But just as the frame looks certain to be his, he misses to corner, granting John a reprieve he'll not have expected.
HIGGINS 2-3 WAKELIN (6-9)
It's John away first and in comms, Angles wonders if he's confident enough to take on a cut-back broon; of course he is, and down it goes. But shortly afterwards, he misses a green that's no gimme but which you assume will disappear – I'm sure that's related to the pressure Chris' form has put him under – and there are points out there for the taking.
ON TABLE TWO
Xiao Guodong 2-3 Wu Yize
HIGGINS 2-3 WAKELIN
Had John lost that frame he'd have been in trouble, but it's his.
HIGGINS 1-3 WAKELIN (53-3)
Chris gets in and out, accidentally going in-off – John will be relieved – but this frame is still a long way from won and, with reds all over, any mistake could mean curtains for either player. And, as I type, The Wiz flicks his red of choice, it bumps another, and sends it down. This game! A brown to middle follows, and this should be a frame back.
HIGGINS 1-3 WAKELIN (43-0)
A nudge of the pack doesn't leave much, so he tries an oblique cut to right-middle, it doesn't go down but it's not left. So he chunters his way back to his seat as a safety exchange begins.
HIGGINS 1-3 WAKELIN (29-0)
John calmly accumulates. If the split works well, the frame should be his, and it's coming up shortly – it'll have to.
HIGGINS 1-3 WAKELIN (1-0)
Exactly what John needs, an opener driven to right corner, and off he goes.
WE GO AGAIN
ON TABLE TWO
Xiao Guodong 1-3 Wu Yize
HIGGINS 1-3 WAKELIN
Chris started nervously but he's been almost faultless since. He won't have wanted the interval, but still has a handy lead.
HIGGINS 1-2 WAKELIN (10-61)
There's on one better at doing this than John, but a poor positional shot leaves him with a double, he can't send it down, and now sits fuming in his seat as Chris looks to extend his lead, a fortuitous cannon redeeming a mistake. This is going to be 3-1.
HIGGINS 1-2 WAKELIN (10-49)
You knew it was coming. Sending a red towards the yellow bag, Chris gets so close he leaves it, and John, coming to the table cold, has made a career out of punishing minor oversights like that one. The balls aren't bad, at all.
HIGGINS 1-2 WAKELIN (0-43)
Chris spanks down a brown breaks the pack off the side, and is he on one? He doesn't look satisfied but he is, and this might the best I've ever seen him play.
HIGGINS 1-2 WAKELIN (0-9)
Yeah, Chris is in the zone, guiding a lovely starter into right corner. "This is world-class stuff," says Stephen, as he marches round the table for the black. John hasn't had a look-in for two frames.
ON TABLE TWO
Xiao Guodong 1-2 Wu Yize
HIGGINS 1-2 WAKELIN
Tremendous stuff from Chris, a total clearance of 129 giving him the lead.
HIGGINS 1-1 WAKELIN (0-70)
Yup, he dribbles into them off the blue, but things don't work out as planned and the next pot is harder than it needed to be. But he sinks it confidently, deposits a difficult frame-ball to corner with no problem whatsoever, and this is excellent stuff.
HIGGINS 1-1 WAKELIN (0-43)
Full of confidence, Chris stalks about the table, but he'll need to do something with what remains of the cluster; I don't think he can remove them one at a time, though I might, of course, be wrong.
HIGGINS 1-1 WAKELIN (0-19)
A decent snooker from Chris allows him to stick an opener into right-centre, and a terrific broon brings him up the business end. He's enjoying himself now, and if he can cut a black to middle, he'll be nicely set ... oh lovely shot.
ON TABLE TWO
Xiao Guodong 0-1 Wu Yize
HIGGINS 1-1 WAKELIN
A superb opener, a run of 92, and the game is afoot.
HIGGINS 1-0 WAKELIN (17-74)
Chris secures the frame. It's taken him a while, but he's in the match now.
HIGGINS 1-0 WAKELIN (17-31)
Chris opens out the reds and from here, should secure the frame.
HIGGINS 1-0 WAKELIN (17-6)
Another excellent diagonal red to left corner sets John away – "there's just an air about him," kvels Stephen – he's straight on to the black, and Chris will be fearing the worst. But as i type, a reprieve, an unnecessary cannon meaning end of break. Chris, though, can't send a plant to middle - it would've left him with no colour anyroad – and he's still not settled. But when John gets away to the green bag, he lands on nowt, and this time, a poor safety allows his opponent to slide nicely down left corner. Can he build on that?
ON TABLE TWO
Xiao Guodong 0-1 Wu Yize
HIGGINS 1-0 WAKELIN
Before long, Chris concedes.
HIGGINS 0-0 WAKELIN (66-7)
I do, though, appreciate the point that he's now fortified with confidence after hoisting a trophy and, let's not forget, even last season he was good enough to deliver one of the great decider-dishes in seeing off Mark Allen. Meantime, the frame is more or less his; he misses to left corner but leads by 59 with 51 left, two reds on the side rail.
HIGGINS 0-0 WAKELIN (49-7)
In comms, Stephen thinks John could a be threat in Sheffield. Now it may be he knows more about snooker than me, who am I to say, but I'd be staggered if he got anywhere near a fifth world title.
HIGGINS 0-0 WAKELIN (22-7)
John's settled much quicker than Chris, who misses a steer to left corner and leaves one; John will score here.
HIGGINS 0-0 WAKELIN (21-7)
Not for long. He runs out of position and, with a red not far from right corner, we may be in for an attritional period. But no! Chris sends the offending ball long and oblique into the green bag, but eschews a risky blue to play safe. For all the good it does him: John gets away again immediately, slides in between brown and bottom rail ... but doesn't get the snooker so it's back to safety-play.
HIGGINS 0-0 WAKELIN (12-6)
John essays a long, diagonal starter ... and slots it right into the heart of left corner. Given what he was leaving if he missed, that's a really good pot; a green follows, then a red and a black, and he's in.
HIGGINS 0-0 WAKELIN (0-6)
After winning the World Open at the start of the month, the resurgent John will fancy himself to go deep here. But the first thing he does is misses a starter to right corner and the second foul on the pink; no harm done. But with a red now in baulk, this frame might get fiddly.
OUR BOYZ BAIZE
We'll shortly be away.
THIS AFTERNOON
We'll be focusing on John Higgins v Chris Wakelin, with updates from Xiao Guodong v Wu Yize. I won't lie, Wu is one of my favourites. I love the wa he plays and I love his talent; it's a matter of time before his temperament catches up.
HELLO THERE!
This promises to be a lot of fun.
Good morning and welcome to our live text coverage of Wednesday's action from the Players Championship.
We have a superb schedule for you again today, with John Higgins taking on Chris Wakelin in the afternoon before a mouthwatering encounter in the evening as Mark Williams faces Kyren Wilson.
Join us soon for our live updates...
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