00:07for Higgins incredibly it would be a 155th ranking quarterfinal appearance incredible
00:14for Robertson it would be his 90th which is also a very impressive tally
00:27and a reminder that Robertson has held sway in this rivalry which dates back to 2005 in recent times
00:35he's won their last four meetings two of which have been won from a long way down in a decider
00:47and two of those four big finals the English Open and the Tour Championship
00:58we've got to go back to the 2019 World Championship for the last time Higgins got the better of Robertson
01:03that was in the quarterfinals 13-10 Robertson 11-8 in front overall
01:28well you heard Robertson's yelp of anguish when he saw what was going to happen there
01:38the red catching the jaw of the pocket piling into the reds and leaving a red for John Higgins
01:53and this time the black is one in open play so this is a very decent chance early on for
02:01Higgins to
02:03possibly restore that three-frame cushion I guess in the end he would have been a little frustrated
02:08that he's not 4-0 up having built a 50 point lead in that fourth frame
02:17but he can certainly make up for it here
02:46the highlights for Higgins
02:49this before the interval breaks of 70 in the opening frame and 84 to lead 3-0
02:5511
02:57made 46 in that frame he ended up losing
03:01so he's been doing almost all of the scoring in this match so far
03:2012
03:2212
03:22so he's been doing almost all the scoring and 2
03:22and 3
03:41so he's done
03:42so he's done
03:52so he would have been doing nothing but he's done
04:0220.
04:25Twenty-seven.
04:39Twenty-eight.
05:09Thirty-five.
05:23Thirty-six.
05:24Nicely done.
05:25Just running through, opening other reds, staying on the black.
05:32Sometimes that can go wrong.
05:33It can get stuck to a red and you can find yourself out of position,
05:37but Higgins played it well.
05:49Well, it was an unusual way to leave a red on for Robertson,
05:54playing the red up the table, thinking he was leaving things safe.
05:58That red catching the left middle pocket jaw,
06:01flying into the reds and leaving one.
06:04And it could cost him this fifth frame.
06:17Forty-four.
06:21Forty-four.
06:28Forty-four.
06:37Forty-four.
06:40Forty-four.
06:41Higgins' third half century of the afternoon.
06:44in
07:1052 well controlled to make sure
07:15Got the cue ball above the blue to make his next positional shot more straightforward
07:3757
07:5358
07:58This black, a red and another high value colour and it should be 4-1
08:1065
08:18This has been a fluent break from Higgins
08:22If he was feeling any frustration at not being 4-0 up
08:28He certainly not showed it with this visit
08:30He heard Robertson
08:33exclaim
08:33I guess you'd have to say a bit of misfortune in seeing that red career into the other reds off
08:40the jaw
08:40He couldn't have really legislated for that happening
08:45But it looks as though it's cost him this frame
08:5273
09:0774
09:2584
09:2681
09:3682
09:37Just missed out on a century in frame 3
09:41Finishing on 84
09:42But
09:44Every chance he can put that right
09:47And he is queuing very well Higgins
09:49I think he'll be very happy
09:50With the way he's playing
09:52The crowd
09:53Packed to the rafters here
09:55At the Telford International Centre
09:56A former UK Championship venue
09:58Back in the late noughties
10:10There is a £10,000 high break bonus this week
10:16Julian Bell, our referee
10:2390
10:29Higgins made 44 centuries last season
10:31Winning two ranking events
10:36After the best part of four years without one
10:4396
10:5097
10:53And this would be his 17th of this season
11:02And he's taken them very well
11:04He hasn't hung around in this break Higgins
11:09He's looked confident
11:16And he's well on top
11:19It could have been 5-0
11:20But 4-1 will do
11:24Robertson
11:25Getting that foothold
11:26Before the interval
11:27Would have hoped
11:28That he could build on it
11:29Straight afterwards
11:30But it's not to be
11:35106
11:40108
11:51111
11:53111
11:54111
12:04111
12:08This has been an immaculate break from Higgins
12:13120
12:15Looking for his first win in nearly seven years
12:18Over Neil Robertson
12:23126
12:23He's going to take a bit of stopping from here
12:25The way he's queuing
12:28133
12:30133
12:30Total clearance from one of the greats of the game
12:33Amen.
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