Players Championship 2022 - Jimmy Robertson knocks out reigning champion John Higgins to reach semi-finals

Jimmy Robertson came back from an early deficit to beat reigning champion John Higgins 6-4 in their Players Championship quarter-final. Higgins moved into an early lead in the clash when his first-frame break of 52 helped him take the opener 72-42. Ad/> Robertson offered less resistance in the second frame as he went down 65-1, before he cut the deficit and ultimately went ahead.

Players ChampionshipHiggins beats Vafaei to advance to quarter-finals of the Players Championship09/02/2022 AT 16:33 Breaks of 58, 57 and 59 in consecutive frames put him 3-2 up in the best of 11 match-up. Former world number one Higgins then levelled with a break of 68 but the lead returned to Robertson with the game’s first century — 102 — to go 4-3 up. The 35-year-old from Bexhill then moved a frame from victory when a break of 57 helped him secure the eighth frame.

Players Championship Live: Jimmy Robertson ends Higgins' title defence with shock win O'Sullivan 'didn't turn up' in loss to Robertson, says Hendry 'Point break' — Matrix icon Reeves 'living the dream' flanked by snooker speed star Rocket Ronnie Higgins was in no mind to roll over though — continuing his form as the Championship League winner — as he halved the deficit to a single frame with an 80 break. That left two frames up for grabs if the Scot was to win himself, but Robertson held his nerve to claim victory and secure a place in Saturday's semi-final against namesake Neil Robertson. Afterwards, Robertson declared it the biggest win of his career.

«I'm just over the moon. Near the end, I was really nervous,» he said. «Him and Mark Selby, you don't feel safe when they need a snooker.

[I was] delighted to pot that final brown. I'm buzzing at the moment. My heart was pumping