Masters 2026: John Higgins wins deciding match against Zhao Xintong to reach fourth round

John Higgins put on a vintage fight to defeat world champion Zhao Xintong on Black in the deciding match of the final frame as he reached the semi-finals of the Masters.

It was a great result to an exciting contest at Alexandra Palace, with two-time winner Higgins, who looked frustrated and distant when 5-3 down, receiving a huge ovation after his 6-5 victory.

“I was very lucky,” Higgins told BBC Sport. “In the penultimate frame I tried to plant a plant and butchered it and dropped a ball. Maybe it was fate.”

“I stayed a little low at the last black dot to make sure I wouldn’t miss it.”

In a high-quality encounter, China’s Zhao made breaks of 89 and 74, while Higgins responded with a brilliant 114 and 64 as the players traded the first six frames.

Chow, aiming to complete snooker’s Triple Crown, capitalized and opened up a 5-3 lead when Higgins came in after red-pointing up the middle in the seventh frame and then missing a crucial black point in the eighth frame.

However, Higgins, making a record 32nd straight Masters appearance, rallied and capitalized on some good luck to get back to 5-4 and then force the 11th frame.

In a roller coaster finish, the 50-year-old Scot, who last won the invitational tournament in 2006, cleared the colors after Chow collapsed at 53 and missed a powerful red kick into the top right corner.

Higgins will now face either Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen or world number one Judd Trump in the quarter-finals on Saturday (13:00 GMT).