- 7 weeks ago
Zhao Xintong vs John Higgins | 2026 Players Championship | Final | Part 9
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00:03The final session of the Players' Championship, live from Telford.
00:06Four each, both need six to be crowned champion.
00:13Neil Folds alongside me for the finale.
00:16It was a very entertaining opening session, Neil, and nothing to choose at the end of it.
00:20No, exactly.
00:21And, you know, you could argue that Yao Zim Tong could have been in front.
00:25I don't think John, even though he was 2-0 up, looked like he was going to be in anything
00:31but a sort of deadlock position at 4-0 as the session went on.
00:36Because Zim Tong started to play a lot better, but everything to play for, for definite.
00:45Yes, Higgins led 2-0.
00:47Yao levelled at the interval, and then Higgins was 3-2 up before Yao made another move and was threatening
00:53a 5-3 advantage.
01:05Yao appearing in his fifth ranking final.
01:07He's won the previous four.
01:17It's a pretty amazing stat when you think about it, because clearly the first few ranking events you play in
01:22are going to be the hardest, I suppose, to get over the line.
01:25But he, like you say, has never failed to do that yet.
01:43For John Higgins, it's a 60th ranking final, and looking for a 34th title.
01:48That would put him just two behind his great rival from the 90s and beyond, Stephen Hendry.
01:58Rodney O'Sullivan out in front, of course, on 41.
02:23Higgins now, of course, into his sixth decade.
02:26He's been winning these big titles ever since he was a teenager.
02:31In fact, he was the first teenager to win three ranking titles in a single season when he was 19.
02:38Four world championships, of course, nine triple crowns.
02:46But the fact that he's still performing at this level at this stage of his career, I think, gives him
02:51more satisfaction than anything.
02:53Two titles last season to end that four-year drought without a title, having come so close so often.
03:00And, of course, Masters finalists this season.
03:03Can he go one step further tonight?
03:14If he does, he'll become the 14th different winner of a ranking event in 14 tournaments this season.
03:22Extraordinary, really, if it happens.
03:24Which is one of the reasons you kind of think it just could, I suppose, to keep that run going.
03:28Although, for it to happen in this event is extraordinary when you think that it's on the one-year list
03:34where everyone's won something that's in the event, it seems, bar just a handful of players.
03:38And Johnny's somehow one of those.
03:40But the fact that he was 17 on the list might explain that.
03:45And when Ronnie O'Sullivan pulled out, he was the next in line.
03:51So he wasn't right up the top of that list.
03:54There were the likes of Elliot Slessor, one or two others playing in this week's event who hadn't won before.
04:00Barry Hawkins had not won this season.
04:03Generally, players who are in this event have done nothing but play well and win.
04:07Lift trophies.
04:13Foul and a miss.
04:13He just felt that at times in the afternoon session, despite 2-0 leading John Higgins, that he was kind
04:20of hanging on a bit, just hanging on to Xintong the best he could.
04:25And he did that.
04:26And whether that will be enough tonight, or he'll have to maybe score more heavily.
04:31There's not been a century yet, which is, I guess, a bit of a surprise.
04:37Higgins with just one break of any size.
04:42That was 83.
04:43And Zhao with a pair of 60-plus breaks and an 81, which at one stage looked like it might
04:48become a genuine maximum attempt.
04:51It wasn't a B.
04:54We've not actually had one in this tournament since it was rebranded, the Players' Championship, back in 2017, and became
05:02part of this three-tournament Players' Series.
05:05Of course, Zhao has already won the first, the World Grand Prix, to a championship to come in Manchester back
05:11into March, into April.
05:16Higgins is hoping to defend that title, but of course you've got to get in via the one-year list.
05:24If he wins tonight, he surely will be in.
05:27At the moment, he's in 11th place from that initial 17th, with a couple more counting events to come.
05:38The Welsh Open, which of course starts tomorrow morning here on Eurosport and Discovery Plus and HBO Max, and the
05:44World Open in Yushan.
05:47Which Higgins also won last season.
05:54One thing about Zhao Zintong, you can say, is that his safety is definitely improving.
06:00I think he's played some terrific stuff.
06:02He's a fast learner.
06:05You know, he had that in force a couple of years out of the game.
06:09But, you know, the new Zhao Zintong World Champion that he is,
06:14he's just developing the ability to turn shots down when he wants to,
06:18and also put more care and attention into the safety exchanges.
06:21He's the only way.
06:23That's borne out by the stats.
06:25He's been in the 80s for safety success this week, which is very good.
06:29Right up there with Higgins.
06:40Well, that's gone wrong.
06:42The red clearly is on, but it is getting on to a colour.
06:46Pink to left middle, maybe, but it's not, you never call this a significant chance yet.
06:53The portals are too tightly grouped up.
06:57Not to say you can't make it into one.
06:59One.
07:10As much as this great sport is a game of extreme levels of skill,
07:15you need a bit of luck as well.
07:16Zhao certainly had that in his first match against Elliot Slessor.
07:20A quite outrageous fluke on a long-range blue,
07:23which wobbled in the jaws of the green pocket.
07:26Seven.
07:27And flew into the right corner, and that turned the tournament for him,
07:31as well as that match.
07:31He was 5-2 down at the time.
07:33He made a century off that fluke, by the way.
07:36And hasn't looked back.
07:40I think the red that's just about on the black spot might pot to the left corner,
07:44but it has to plough through like a wall of reds to come out onto a colour.
08:01There's red.
08:04The middle looks, I mean, it just looks like the red might be potable,
08:07but there's no guarantees of being on the colour.
08:11Well, no hope of being on the colour, I think, as well, for the most part.
08:14Well, the only snag is he's not got an easy safety shot here
08:18because he can't get a thin shot up to the bulk end.
08:22So what actually does he do?
08:29He's playing this right to middle.
08:31That's a difficult shot, this.
08:34Difficult shot.
08:35He's not left one.
08:36He's playing it on seven.
08:37Seven.
08:39Seven.
10:13A bit thick from Higgins.
10:18Yeah, very much so.
10:20He got the keyboard back, but the red was always going to follow it down unless it hit something, because
10:24he hit a lot of the red.
10:29Now, he could go for the red, but also the snooker behind the brown is a, well, it should be
10:35an easy shot.
10:35See, that's a poor shot.
10:38It may not mean a thing, but, you know, I said earlier he's been paying more care and attention to
10:45his safety shots.
10:45That's true, but he shouldn't have missed the snooker there, even though it feels like a very awkward table, even
10:53if he did get a chance.
11:05It's never ideal when the high value colours get bogged down very early in a frame.
11:10Of course, both of these players want to be in amongst them scoring, particularly Zhao.
11:16But the black welded to the top cushion, pink buried in the reds at the moment, so not really conducive
11:24to heavy scoring as we see that overcooked snooker.
11:31It's just a bit heavy-handed, wasn't it, the way he played it, but that's a better shot here.
11:44It's only one frame, but it felt big this afternoon.
11:47Had Zhao won it, and he did have a chance after Higgins missed a red and led 5-3.
11:52Then if he makes a quick start tonight, and we know he can win frames in no time, Higgins is
11:57suddenly in a lot of trouble.
12:00So, for the great man to get out of it, level pegging, I think, would have delighted him.
12:06And indeed, he looked very relaxed and happy when he left the arena and they shook hands at half-time
12:12in this final.
12:16Yeah, it's just like he's kind of weathered the storm a little bit, Higgins, didn't he, in this afternoon session
12:20when Jin Tong did that thing that he does,
12:24where he just looks pretty devastating for a couple of frames.
12:27I'm sure that'll happen again tonight at some point, and John knows that, so he's got to try and get
12:33frames like this under his belt,
12:35where the balls are not prettily placed.
12:40Those three reds, I wonder if they're any kind of a three-ball plant.
12:43John's coming to look at them.
12:46Don't know if that's on.
12:47John's coming to look at them.
12:48John's coming to look at them.
13:37I can pop the red but goodness it's not easy
13:40this far away from it
13:46it's a terrific shot I mean he's actually opened up the pink which
13:49one you couldn't really say it was all luck because he knew he was going into
13:53them but that red even though it's fairly close to the pocket was not easy
13:57but all of a sudden the frame has been unlocked a little bit it seems
14:02not entirely but certainly you see plenty of reds and high enough value colors
14:08that he could get here
14:32seven
14:43eight
14:47so
15:1913.
15:5314.
15:5414.
15:5715.
16:0015.
16:0315.
16:2316.
16:34played with a bit of right-hand side just to bring it round the angles
16:38and where is he finishing surely not on top of that red
16:42an unbelievable place to finish really
16:45he can't quite bring himself to believe what's happened there
16:49because there's so many places down that right side you're on something
16:57but everything is in the way of everything else basically
17:01I mean he can't even play a plant I don't think
17:04he's got to run away they'll disappoint him because things opened up when he got that blue
17:09that pink into play from the initial red
17:12he's got to run away they'll pass on to the second level
17:13he's got to run away from the first level
17:18he's got to run away from the first level
18:00You get very little emotion
18:02from Zhao Zingtong. He's
18:04very good at keeping that in check.
18:08But a little shake of the head
18:10will tell you, A, he was
18:12frustrated, obviously, not to land on something
18:14potable, but B,
18:16not the best safety either.
18:19So this
18:20frame taking a while to unfold, which
18:22has not been the trend in this match.
18:24That's about the
18:26sort of average shot time we see from
18:28Higgins these days, 27, 28
18:30seconds.
18:34It's easy to forget.
18:36He'll be 51 in under
18:38three months' time. Remarkable
18:40that he's still doing what he's doing
18:41at this level of the game
18:43against this calibre of opposition.
18:56And of course, if he does win tonight, he will eclipse his fellow Class of 92 great as
19:01becoming the oldest ever ranking event winner. Mark Williams holding that title at the moment
19:06after he beat Sean Murphy for the
19:08year and Grand Prix this season.
19:28Well, these could have easily been
19:30jazz in tongs, these reds and
19:33colors, but for that shot which went wrong
19:36when he finished close to a red.
20:00Six.
20:02Six.
20:02Six.
20:03Five.
20:04Six.
20:04Six.
20:25Seven.
20:26Ten.
20:28Seven.
20:29Seven.
20:30Seven.
20:31Seven.
20:32Seven.
20:4712.
21:1018.
21:2119.
21:2219.
21:5620.
21:57Still not conducive to a frame-clinching break as things stand.
22:0626.
22:12I would say Higgins has already looked sharper than he did in the final of the Masters, where he was
22:17disappointed with his level against Kyron Wilson, who ran out a 10-6 winner.
22:2226.
22:30That's the beauty of the Tour these days, though.
22:32If you do have a disappointment, you don't have to wait very long at all to put it right.
22:41And, of course, the bandwagon continues tomorrow at Venue Cymru.
22:47Clondidno for the final act of the Home Nations this season.
22:53No one has had more success at the Welsh Open than this man.
22:57He's won it five times.
23:00He plays on Tuesday, as does Zhao Zintong.
23:08Mark Williams, the only Welshman to win that title, amazingly, which dates back to 1992, will open his account tomorrow
23:16afternoon against the former shootout champion Michael Holt.
23:22So, things gradually becoming a bit more complicated now, Higgins.
23:2717 in front at present.
24:13got it
24:1940
24:50The blue one.
25:03Well, hitting the bump of the middle is the reason he's not on the red,
25:06just above and to the left of the black.
25:09He's a handy lead he's now got,
25:11but, yes, we're not, you know, a lot closer to knowing who wins this frame yet.
25:32John Higgins, 45.
25:35He took what was available there, Higgins, to get himself 23 in front.
26:09He gets such a high percentage of shots like that.
26:11And this one wasn't a million miles away.
26:13I think the cue ball might have ended up in the pocket
26:17had it not been for the double kiss.
26:20A couple more reds now out in the open,
26:22one of which Higgins is looking out here into the centre.
26:33He is going to need one of those awkward reds, though,
26:35close to the black to win the frame.
26:57And this is what I'm saying with John.
26:59I think John understands better than anybody with his wealth of experience.
27:02I was saying this earlier that, you know,
27:04he's going to lose frames in one visit, I think,
27:06in this session to Xin Tong, who's devastating.
27:10So he's got to pick up the pieces and, you know,
27:13sometimes feed on scraps.
27:18I know he's a better player than that alone,
27:20but he's still going to be that these are the frames
27:22he's probably going to have to win
27:23if he's to win the title tonight and lift that trophy.
27:29They all count.
27:38They're finally an effort to promote the red that he needs
27:41if he's going to win this frame.
27:51Has he reached?
27:53He has not.
27:58He's one of those, if he has it put back, which he may do,
28:00not much is going to come of it
28:02because he's just going to play the shot slightly with more pace.
28:08I think I'd probably let him play it from here.
28:11I don't think I'd bother having it put back.
28:14I think it's pretty much in the relevance.
28:16Those four points, of course, could conceivably make a difference,
28:20but there's just no value there.
28:26Decided to play it himself.
28:29There was very little to be gained, whatever he did there.
28:44Comfortably the longest frame of the final so far.
28:50He'll be looking to the fourth quarter.
28:51It's a lot.
29:02Kevin Casualty.
29:02He'll come to the top ten seconds.
29:02He'll be lied to the top ten seconds.
29:05So I'll be benching.
29:09Hi, 7 minutes.
30:28Now, that could have just opened things up a bit.
30:31Now, this will interest Yao Zin Tong a bit more.
30:34The frame's been sort of finally unlocked.
30:43And one good safety shot here.
30:46If he could have got behind that green, I think he'd have been favorite for the frame.
30:50He still left John Higgins an awkward shot.
32:06Yes, that's hard enough.
32:09it might be not making it to the Reds either.
32:13This is where he's good, you know.
32:15He realises there's some danger
32:16in the configuration of the last three Reds
32:20and the colours not being that so difficult now.
32:23So John's trying to sort of keep him at bay,
32:27not give him anything.
32:30Hoping that Xiao Xin Tong,
32:32who's got not as much experience,
32:34will make a significant error.
32:38But he's kind of playing his part in this.
32:41That's another good shot.
32:45Now Higgins might find it hard
32:47to play a thin safety shot here,
32:48so again, is it going to be a container?
32:51Just something that keeps his opponent
32:54an arm's length for an extra shot.
33:00He's in a spot of trouble.
33:03He can see one,
33:05but leaving a Red close to the left corner
33:07has got to be avoided.
33:32Yeah, well, he's tried to keep it safe,
33:36but of course, this is not the kind of range
33:38you want to be leaving Xiao Xin Tong.
33:40It's not an easy shot,
33:42but you can knock these in.
34:01One.
34:06These feel like quite big shots coming up.
34:08But I know it's only the first frame
34:09of a possible 11 tonight.
34:16Now, if you played the black,
34:18it's missable down the cushion.
34:23But he'd have a Red to the right corner.
34:26He rolls the pink in.
34:28I don't know if any of the Reds go.
34:32It's not a very nice shot
34:33to have to play this Black
34:35with a bit of pace on it.
34:39It's finished in,
34:41somehow,
34:41quite an awkward spot there.
34:56I'm not sure it's not any easier,
34:58quite honestly.
34:59Eight.
35:18Yes, it was tough.
35:20So, Higgins back at the table,
35:2217 in front.
35:25Still going to need
35:26the two remaining Reds.
35:31I think if he
35:33pots it
35:33and gets the angle right,
35:34he probably goes into the Black.
35:36So, subconsciously,
35:36I think he's trying to
35:37pot the Red thick there.
35:42And that's why he missed it thick.
35:43So, he can't do it.
35:44Nope.
36:13There are two remaining ones.
36:13So, next time,
36:13So, that's why he did
36:22well he's quite lucky there
36:24he left no shot really
36:29I mean the cutback
36:30read to the right corners
36:32and particularly unpleasant angle
36:35he might have to play it
36:36but it's not a very
36:38palatable shot really to have to play
36:47it's a bit of an oddity of a frame
36:48isn't it let's be honest in the context of these
36:50two have played so well all week
37:29thanks
37:33thank you
37:33so this frame is turning into a bit of an epic
37:36it's been awkward really
37:38the start of the frame
37:39the black was out of commission
37:41the pink was awkward as well
37:46well past the half hour mark
37:48but obviously
37:50every bit as important as all the others
37:54that's a good shot
37:57further evidence that
37:58he can cut it
37:59when it comes to the safety side of things
38:06we've seen how Judd Trump
38:07has developed his all-round match play
38:09over the last decade
38:10to become
38:12such a great
38:14match player
38:15Michelle doing something similar I think
38:22can i play the one
38:50so
38:51I
39:52Because he's long away from the red, but the green off the cushions in his interest, not John's.
40:04And that was not good.
40:08One of those shots, you almost want to miss it very thin, if you're going to miss it at all.
40:20So two reds, two colours for Higgins to take the lead for the first time since he was 3-2
40:28up.
40:41One.
40:43One.
40:43One.
40:48So often these tight frames, which could have gone either way, feel more significant than the ones won in one
40:56clean hit.
40:57Both players investing a lot in them.
40:59One of them's going to be disappointed that they've got nothing to show for their efforts.
41:16Well, he's very close to the red.
41:19He will need a colour with it.
41:22But, you know, if he pushed this in around the black, you know, kind of it's an invisible shot, this.
41:32I'm made absolutely sure of it.
41:34But he will need to cut this black.
41:39So it's been a pretty horrible frame, let's be honest.
41:44But as I said earlier, they really all count, especially for this man.
41:49This has still got to be knocked in, and he knows you're getting on the yellow.
42:02And it goes.
42:03In fact, he played it in such a way, he didn't get on the yellow.
42:07In case he missed it.
42:0916.
42:23John Higgins, 16.
42:27John returns to the table.
42:29He needs two sneakers.
42:52He's got to be in the middle.
42:55He's got to be in the middle.
43:05He's got to be in the middle.
43:07He's got to be in the middle.
43:07He's got to be in the middle.
43:08He's got to be in the middle.
43:09He's got to be in the middle.
43:10He's got to be in the middle.
43:10He's got to be in the middle.
43:11He's got to be in the middle.
43:11He's got to be in the middle.
43:13He's got to be in the middle.
43:14He's got to be in the middle.
43:15He's got to be in the middle.
43:18He's got to be in the middle.
43:37A wonderful scene here at the Telford International Centre, packed.
43:42Looking forward to what could be a thrilling evening snooker.
43:46This frame has been a difficult one, but barring something unlikely, it's going to be John Higgins leading 5-4.
43:57Getting two snookers at any time is a difficult assignment when you're playing John Higgins.
44:03One of the greatest tacticians the sport's ever seen, even more so.
44:23Thank you very much.
44:46Thank you very much.
45:32Over 40 minutes in length this frame.
45:41Looks for all the world as though Higgins is going to win it, particularly if he keeps laying a snooker
45:51like that already.
45:52This opponent needs a couple of them.
45:56Interesting that Zhao is ploughing on here, given his style of game.
46:01He wondered whether maybe he would just give this one up and get on with the next, but he's fighting.
46:09Yeah, I mean, he wants two snookers, technically it could have been one on the pink and black, although I
46:13think now that this yellow is in a potable position.
46:19If John pots it, surely that's enough.
46:21It's not the kind of start to the session that Xin Tong wanted, a long, drawn-out frame that he
46:26eventually loses anyway.
46:32Two.
46:32I think that's time to pull it a day and move on here.
46:36I don't think playing on here is any good to him, really.
46:43Well, it's now three snookers.
46:45Two on the blue, pink and black, I suppose, if he took it that far.
46:48But he's in snooker of his own all the time.
46:50John is...
46:51John Higgins, two.
46:52Sam and Symmetry is giving it.
46:53And this time shall concede.
46:56So, a very long opening frame to start the final session.
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