00:00It's out of two with the Tour Championship in Manchester to come in March.
00:30It's out of two.
01:07There's just been a few little signs.
01:09I mean, I know that it's easy to say that, you know, one player is wilting more than another
01:14because at the moment, you know, Zhao has won the most recent frame.
01:18But John Higgins, he is showing a little bit of fatigue, I think.
01:24And we've made a lot of the fact that he's in his 51st year.
01:28And it's hard to concentrate for long periods.
01:32I'm sure he can summon up the strength to win the match if the chance comes.
01:43But there are a few signs of it, I think, that he's struggling.
02:478-5 down to win the last five, as he did.
02:51Quite outstanding.
02:52And, of course, finalist in the Masters this year already.
02:57Contesting another big final here.
03:02Testament not only to his class, but also his dedication and his never-say-die spirit, even when he was
03:11struggling to cross the line in big finals.
03:15Kept believing, and it's paid off for him.
03:18Thank you very much.
03:49Not a bad kiss.
03:51Puts him on the black, but it's not an easy black, with the red below it potentially in the way
03:56also.
04:04Pretty good shot there.
04:128-9.
04:209-9.
04:229-9.
04:239-9.
04:2310-9.
04:2510-9.
04:2610-9.
04:2610-9.
04:2610-9.
04:2811-9.
04:2810-9.
04:3810-9.
04:4015-9.
04:4413-9.
04:4816.
04:4816.
04:4817.
04:48No reason why he shouldn't come away from taking high-value colours
04:53with these reds, blacks,
04:57because it's the easiest way to go forward.
05:0324.
05:12A little bit of cough and a splutter, isn't there?
05:14We did notice that actually in the World Grand Prix
05:17that he seemed a bit off-colour at times.
05:20I'm not saying he is again, but...
05:2225.
05:23I'm just noticing that every now and then,
05:25a bit of a tickly cough or something.
05:28He walks around.
05:48He's made five centuries in this tournament,
05:50including, of course, the tournament high break of 1-4-2 against Sean Murphy,
05:56which will bag him a £10,000 bonus as things stand.
05:59He was actually on for a 1-4-7 this afternoon.
06:06Good shot there.
06:07He was unsure which shot to play,
06:10the pink or the black.
06:11I think the black was going to be his chosen option
06:15because the pink does go in to the bottom of the bunch,
06:18so it ties it up,
06:19but he's on the red at least to follow it.
06:3731.
06:4532.
06:4632.
06:4632.
07:0533.
07:1232.
07:30Forty-seven.
07:40Forty-eight.
07:43It was another great long red from Zhao to set up this chance.
07:48At times today, it's been around this part of the break where there have been a few errors that have
07:56allowed Higgins back in contention.
07:59Can he kill this one off in one visit and get himself in front for the first time since he
08:07led 4-3?
08:12I mean, is he on this red that he's close to?
08:14It must be a very touch-and-go.
08:21I'm not sure, you know.
08:23I'm not entirely sure.
08:25If he's playing it with a trace of side, he's missable.
08:29And he's done well.
08:31I think he did play it with side.
08:32It came down on the side of that was a nice shot.
08:36But as Philip said, you know, even here, this pink he could miss and leave the frame would be a
08:42bad one to lose.
08:42So he's got to make sure this goes in.
08:48Only just.
08:50That was it, wasn't it?
08:52That was it.
08:52Maybe he's sort of battled through those moments.
08:58He definitely is coughing a lot, isn't he?
09:01At the World Grand Prix, there was definitely a similar point where he seemed a bit under the weather.
09:1163.
09:3068.
09:31Well, this is the kind of frame ball you want.
09:3569.
09:36So.
09:37This has been Xiao's best contribution for a while.
09:41He was able to win the previous frame after Higgins missed.
09:46But he got in with a great long red again in this one.
09:50And it's a clean kill.
09:52One visit stuff again from Xiao.
09:54We've seen an awful lot of that from him over the last 12 months or so.
10:0076.
10:00Including, of course, his dazzling run from qualifying to the Crucible title.
10:07Hasn't been A1 today, but great players can win when they're not at their best.
10:15And he seems to be adding more and more facets to his game with each passing tournament.
10:20Safety is very solid and getting better.
10:23And in terms of his potting ability and his natural talent, Peerless.
10:3489.
10:39Well, as I mentioned a couple of times, the match with Mark Allen was quite similar.
10:43He just, he was always behind.
10:45He couldn't get back into the match until it got to 5-all.
10:49But I think what we can say about him is that whatever goes before, usually when it comes
10:55to the big moments, you know, when push comes to shove, he's able to play his best nougat then.
11:03And I think we were at that stage.
11:0597.
11:08Certainly at 7-6 down.
11:09And he's upped his game at last.
11:12We've been waiting all day for it, haven't we?
11:14But I think he's here now.
11:18Terrific break.
11:22The crowd enjoying it.
11:24Century number six of the week.
11:26The red doesn't matter.
11:29And so Xiao Xin Tong hits the front for the first time since frame seven.
11:34And he's within two of his fifth ranking title in his fifth final.
11:40He leads John Higgins by eight frames to seven.
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