British Open recap - Neil Robertson through to the third round after Stan Moody stuns Kyren Wilson on day two in Cheltenham
By Paul Hassall
Updated 23/09/2025 at 23:45 GMT+1
React to this story
Welcome to our live text coverage of the British Open with a host of big names in action on Tuesday's schedule at the event. Neil Robertson joined Zhao Xintong and John Higgins in booking their places in the third round in Cheltenham. However, there was no joy for world number two Kyren Wilson, who was stunned by teenage sensation Stan Moody.
‘A dire shot’ - Allen makes huge blunder in safety attempt
Video credit: TNT Sports
Goodnight
That's just about it for day two of the 2025 British Open.
The second round continues tomorrow, so make sure you join us for more action from Cheltenham.
But until then, thank you for tuning in today. Goodbye!
Robbo roars into round three
Neil Robertson recovered from a slow start to book his place in the British Open third round with a 4-1 victory over Xu Si.
The Thunder lost the opening frame, but reeled off the next four to set up a potential clash with fellow former champion Shaun Murphy.
Xu controlled a scrappy first frame, which he eventually won on the colours, and had the first chance of the second.
However, he broke down on 35, and Robertson pounced with an 84 counter clearance to draw level.
The Thunder then established his authority on the contest with runs of 62 and 72 for the loss of just four points.
That put him on the brink of victory, which he swiftly secured a brilliant break of 100 - his 998th career century.
Result: Robertson 4-1 Xu
The former world champion hits the 998th century of his career to close out a commanding victory.
He's now dropped just one frame of the nine he has played!
Robertson 3-1 Xu
A break of 72 does the trick this time for the Thunder, who now needs one more frame for victory.
Robertson 2-1 Xu
The Australian builds on that momentum with a run of 62 in a dominant third frame to put him in front.
Robertson 1-1 Xu
The Chinese cannot fully capitalise on his opportunity, and Robertson counters with an 84 clearance to level.
Century
Across the arena, Gary Wilson has produced a magnificent total clearance of 144.
However, he still trails 3-1 against Anthony McGill.
Robertson 0-1 Xu (0-10)
Xu eventually wins the opening frame on the colours, before getting an early chance in the second.
Robertson 0-0 Xu (18-44)
The Chinese has the lead in the opening frame, but it has been a scrappy start to this match.
There are 43 points remaining, so a few more pots would get Xu over the line.
Next up
The last match of the day on table two sees another former world champion aiming to avoid an upset.
Neil Robertson takes on Xu Si.
Stan the man
Kyren Wilson has crashed out of the British Open following a shock 4-2 defeat against Stan Moody.
The world number two suffered his third successive early exit at a ranking event, as his opponent claimed a significant scalp in Cheltenham.
After winning a scrappy opening frame, Moody doubled his lead with a superb 132 total clearance.
The teenager looked on course to make it 3-0 at 47-0 up in frame three. However, a missed black off the spot was ruthlessly punished by Wilson, who cleared with 86 to halve his deficit.
Though Moody regained his two-frame buffer, but surrendered a 40-5 advantage in the sixth, with the Warrior making a break of 82 to keep his hopes alive.
Yet, it proved a false dawn for the former world champion, who saw Moody recover from 43-11 behind with a 44 clearance to snatch frame and match on the pink.
Higgins v Zhao
There is no doubt whatsoever when it comes to the tie of the round!
In a match worthy of a final, four-time world champion John Higgins will take on reigning Crucible king Zhao Xintong.
Draw in full
Iulian Boiko v Ali Carter/Wu Yize
Zhang Anda v Xiao Guodong
Zak Surety v Louis Heathcote
Ben Mertens/Reanne Evans v Robbie McGuigan
Robert Milkins/Anton Kowalski v Mitchell Mann/Gao Yang
John Higgins v Zhao Xintong
Judd Trump/Leone Crowley v Martin O'Donnell/Sunny Akani
Barry Hawkins v Jak Jones
Stan Moody v Ian Burns
Matthew Stevens/Cheung v Lei Peifan/Matthew Selt
Joe O'Connor/Allan Taylor v Mark Selby/Liu Hongyu
Noppon Saengkham v Chang Bingyu
Gary Wilson/Anthony McGill v Oliver Lines
Mark Williams v Mark Allen/Bulcsu Revesz
Ryan Davies/Liam Davies v David Lilley/Xu Yichen
Shaun Murphy/Scott Donaldson v Neil Robertson/Xu Si
Third round draw
Moody's name goes straight into the draw for the third round.
We will bring you all the ties shortly.
SHOCK! Wilson 2-4 Moody
What a win for the teenager!
He overturns an early deficit with a nerveless clearance to snatch frame and match on the pink.
Wilson 2-3 Moody
The Warrior recovers from 40-5 down with a break of 82 to keep his hopes alive.
Is this the start of an impressive turnaround, or a false dawn for the former world champion?
Around the tables
Mark Allen 3-1 Jiang Jun
Xiao Guodong 3-2 Umut Dikme
Ian Burns 2-3 Marco Fu
Wilson 1-3 Moody
Moody responds well by controlling the fourth frame to move within one of victory.
Wilson 1-2 Moody
How crucial will that prove to be...?!
Moody is in with a chance for 3-0, but breaks down on 47 after missing a black off the spot.
The Warrior ruthlessly steps in, clearing with 86 to halve his deficit.
Easy as 123
Across the arena, there's no stopping Xiao Guodong, who makes it back-to-back centuries with a wonderful break of 123.
Century! Wilson 0-2 Moody
That's more like it on table one!
The teenager produces a stunning 132 total clearance to double his lead.
Century
Xiao Guodong is quickly into his stride, the Wuhan Open champion hitting a break of 127 in the opening frame of his clash with Umut Dikme.
Wilson 0-1 Moody
A very scrappy opening frame goes the way of the teenager on the colours.
Wilson 0-0 Moody (17-11)
Both players look a little rusty early on with a couple of uncharacteristic misses early on.
Who will settle the quickest?
Form book
Wilson made a flying start to the season with victory at the Shanghai Masters, before reaching the Saudi Arabia Masters quarter-finals.
However, he arrives for this event off the back of successive early exits in Wuhan and Brentwood.
Meanwhile, Moody is fresh from reaching his first career ranking quarter-final at the Wuhan Open last month.
Here we go
The players are introduced into the arena by MC Rob Walker.
This evening's session is under way in Cheltenham.
Welcome back
Good evening everyone! It's good to have your company as day two resumes at the 2025 British Open.
First up, we will be focusing on former world champion Kyren Wilson's showdown with rising star Stan Moody, before Neil Robertson goes head to head with Xu Si later on.
We will also have updates on English Open champion Mark Allen, who is among the other big names in action this evening.
JOIN US AGAIN LATER
We’ll be back shortly for the evening session when Kyren Wilson meets Stan Moody from 19:00 BST.
Neil Robertson follows that when he locks horns with Xu Si from approximately 21:00 BST.
See you then!
Zhao shines in Bingham win after Higgins survives
Zhao Xintong powered into the third round at the 2025 British Open courtesy of a 4-1 victory over Stuart Bingham.
The reigning champion edged a couple of low-scoring scrappy frames before racing through the gears to move three up with a sublime 127 clearance.
Bingham put together his best spell to get on the board and reduce the arrears before the Chinese star sealed the win with a stylish 132 clearance.
Earlier, John Higgins hit back from 2-0 and 3-2 down to edge out Jack Lisowski.
The Scot, who was runner-up at the tournament last year, produced a 132 clearance in the decider to complete the comeback in style.
RESULT! - ZHAO 4-1 BINGHAM
Zhao makes the early running with a spectacular red to open.
A lovely angle on a brown to the yellow pocket tees him up for perfect position on a red to the side of the black and he fires the colour to the left corner to quickly seize control of the table.
A blistering black to the same corner allows him to pummel into the pack and provide himself with a big opportunity from here.
A red up to middle is almost effortlessly despatched and he preys upon the black off its spot to move within range of the half century.
A red to middle left and a blue to the same bag take him beyond that marker and he eases back down to the black via a pot on a red to the left again.
Another black off its spot allows him to burst into the remainder of the pack and he nicks in a red to middle left to put the result beyond doubt.
Now it’s all about a possible century and he glides through the remaining reds to achieve his 20th of the season.
It's a wonderful way to finish as the Chinese star completes a 133 clearance.
ZHAO 3-1 BINGHAM
On. The. Board.
Bingham avoids any talk of a whitewash to maintain an interest here.
The world number 22 puts together his best spell of the contest, but he misses a red to seal it.
Zhao plays on for one pot on the red, but misses a pink to middle before giving a nod to concede the frame.
ZHAO 3-0 BINGHAM (8-14)
This time it’s Bingham’s turn to take advantage of a missed red, but he can only manufacture a run of 14.
It’s just not quite clicked for Ball-Run today and he’s running out of time to make it happen.
ZHAO 3-0 BINGHAM (8-0)
Zhao produces a stonking long red to open and then pulls off a beauty of a black.
However, he can’t keep the pot-a-thon going as a long attempt down the right jostles with the jaws and pops out.
ZHAO 3-0 BINGHAM
Zhao takes advantage of Bingham’s travails, knocking in some routine reds with a flurry of blacks before angling in a red to the right corner via the rest.
Position briefly threatens to go awry but he gets back on track by screwing back off a thunderbolt red to the right corner to take the brown to the green pocket.
A blue to middle right ends with a lovely cannon off the pack that flicks a stray red loose to continue his run across the bottom rail.
A black to the right corner and a red up to middle keep him ticking along nicely and when he sinks the pink to middle left, he passes the half century mark.
It’s classy work from the Chinese as all of his hard work leads to some simple reds around the black that leave Bingham rooted to his seat.
He needs a special pot on a final long red up to the yellow pocket and he duly delivers, knocking in the blue to hit the century.
From there he despatches the colours off their spots to move within one frame of victory with a 127 clearance.
ZHAO 2-0 BINGHAM (0-13)
Bingham takes on a long red from baulk and it fizzes like an arrow into the right corner.
The world number 22 sizzles a yellow across to the green pocket to navigate the cue ball down to the business end of the table, but Ball-Run makes another mess of a red to the right corner.
It's not quite happening for the 2015 world champion as of yet.
ZHAO 2-0 BINGHAM (0-10)
Zhao misjudges the pace of an early safety coming off the left cushion and into the pack and ends up fouling.
Bingham puts him back in and this time the Chinese hits the pink!
The reigning world champion opts to take on a long pot with the frame at risk, but he can’t find the right corner bag with his speculative attempt.
AROUND THE TABLES
- Woollaston 3-3 Saengkham
- Boiko 0-1 Craigie
- Page 0-2 Lines
ZHAO 2-0 BINGHAM
Once again it’s Zhao who gets the run of the balls and he begins to make it count on the board with a succession of red-black combos.
A sharp red up to middle right is followed by a pink to the same bag to once again leave Bingham needing a snooker.
This time he doesn’t return as Zhao slips in another red to that overused pocket before a pink to the opposite corner leaves him needing something special doubling a red.
It doesn’t come off but a break of 45 is enough to put him two ahead.
ZHAO 1-0 BINGHAM (29-13)
Bingham leaves the cue ball close to the left cushion but Zhao makes it look like an error as he rolls a lovely red to the right corner.
The Chinese then misses a more routine green up to its home pocket but gets fortunate as the cue ball stops tight to the blue.
ZHAO 1-0 BINGHAM (28-13)
The scrappiness of this encounter continues as Zhao cannons into pink and red off a pot on the black to the right corner.
It means a promising run of 24 comes to a frustrating end as the world champion plays safe up to baulk.
ZHAO 1-0 BINGHAM (4-13)
Another impasse kicks off Frame 2 until Bingham misses the pack trying a two-cushion escape from behind the green.
Zhao puts him back in but this time Stuart finds the right pace to avoid giving up any opportunity.
It proves significant as Ball-Run pots the first ball with a routine red to the right corner after the Chinese missed a speculative long effort to the left.
The world number 22 plays off the blue and is relieved to see a red find the corner via a hefty nick off the jaw, but he overcooks a blue to the left trying to engineer an angle from a straight position and his run ends on 13.
ZHAO 1-0 BINGHAM
There’s a lengthy face-off on the green as Bingham continues to seek opportunities and angles to lay traps.
Zhao keeps finding the solutions, trying to stay patient to close-off a frame he probably should have secured a while back.
Eventually, Zhao teases down a long pot to the right corner and Bingham finally concedes.
ZHAO 0-0 BINGHAM (58-25)
Bingham immediately earns one of the snookers required and then knocks in the yellow.
Perhaps we have some mileage left in this opening frame after all.
ZHAO 0-0 BINGHAM (58-19)
Another poor shot from Bingham puts Zhao back in and the Chinese slips in the penultimate red via the rest before rifling down the brown to leave Stuart needing a snooker.
The 2015 champion does end up returning though as Zhao again fails to make it count with the final red to the right corner.
However, the Chinese flukes another red to leave Bingham needing a minor miracle now.
ZHAO 0-0 BINGHAM (52-19)
Zhao pockets a welcome fluke and then plays safe off the penultimate red tight to the lower left rail.
ZHAO 0-0 BINGHAM (45-19)
Zhao quickly gets back in when Bingham misses another red to middle.
The world number 11 scorches down a red to open and eases a blue to middle before coming off two cushions to cut a red up to middle left.
The black refuses the invitation of the left corner, however, and its a premature end of break again with three reds remaining.
ZHAO 0-0 BINGHAM (32-19)
Zhao eases down a red and a black to the right corner before using the rest to ease another red down the left rail and into the bag.
The reigning world champion quickly finds his feet with a succession of routine pots, nipping back up to middle right to edge in the blue and get it back on its spot.
The Chinese star uses the rest to blast down a red to the right, with the added bonus of another red flying to the opposite corner.
It’s end of break and he nudges the black to the bottom rail having gained the ascendancy on the board.
ZHAO 0-0 BINGHAM (0-19)
It’s Bingham who is first to show but a confident run of 19 ends with him using the rest to nudge a red left of the pack back under cover en route to retreating to baulk.
AROUND THE TABLES
- RESULT! - M. Williams 4-3 Lam
- Woollaston 2-2 Saengkham
- Boiko 0-1 Craigie
HIGGINS HITS COMEBACK TRAIL TO DOWN LISOWSKI
John Higgins once again came from behind to edge into the third round of the 2025 British Open with a rollercoaster 4-3 win over Jack Lisowski.
The Scot appeared to be struggling with his vision early on and it allowed the world number 29, nicknamed Jack-Pot, to roar out of the traps and claim a 2-0 advantage courtesy of breaks of 76 and 50.
Higgins kept battling and put together a run of 62 to reduce the arrears before levelling after sneaking a very scrappy fourth frame.
The four-time world champion seemed to have belatedly found his groove, but a miss on a plant to the left corner on a run of 43 allowed Lisowski to steal in and regain the lead courtesy of an excellent surge of 88.
An incident-packed and error-strewn sixth frame eventually went the way of Higgins, who then put together his best snooker of the match to take the decider with a sensational 132 clearance.
RESULT! - HIGGINS 4-3 LISOWSKI
The four-time champion saves his best until last, producing a sublime 132 clearance to somehow fight his way into Round Three.
HIGGINS 3-3 LISOWSKI (55-0)
It’s Higgins who gets a first look in the decider as he seizes upon sloppy play from Jack to cut the one stray red south of the pack to the left corner.
The Scot lands topside of blue and uses the potting angle to cannon into the pack and prolong his stint at the table.
The four-time champion motors towards the half century and thunders away a black to the right corner to smash into the remainder of the pack and provide himself with a potentially match-winning scenario.
The world number six arrows away a red to the right corner and a blue to middle to ease beyond the 50-mark and leave Lisowski wondering if he’ll get another chance….
AROUND THE TABLES
- RESULT! - Tahir 2-4 Heathcote
- M. Williams 2-3 Lam
- Woollaston 1-2 Saengkham
HIGGINS 3-3 LISOWSKI
There’s a face-off on the green with both players having a nibble, but it’s John who cuts home the long pot to the right corner.
He ends nicely on the brown and from there it’s academic as he sinks the pink and steps away after sending this R2 clash into a decider.
HIGGINS 2-3 LISOWSKI (47-48)
John finally makes Jack pay and after despatching the penultimate red, he nails a black to the yellow pocket to come back down to the final red on the bottom rail.
A feather touch helps him roll it home and the Wizard of Wishaw looks to be on the path to levelling matters, but he misses the green up to the brown pocket and gives Lisowski a lifeline after a run of 31.
HIGGINS 2-3 LISOWSKI (16-48)
Jacks knocks in a splendid red but then opts to knock in a yellow knowing position was unlikely.
He eventually plays safe, but clips the blue and goes in-off to the middle right.
Higgins steps in but, in-keeping with the nature of this patchy match, he catches the brown with his sleave and fouls!
Lisowski then misses a long red to the bottom right and opens the door for John!
What a bizarre frame this is proving to be!
HIGGINS 2-3 LISOWSKI (12-41)
Higgins rolls the same red up to the green pocket to begin his rescue-act, but soon needs a super cut on a red close to the bottom right to keep things moving.
The Wizard of Wishaw then fluffs his lines with a cut on a yellow to its home pocket to end his run prematurely on seven and we remain in the dark as to who is going to take this frame.
HIGGINS 2-3 LISOWSKI (5-41)
Lisowski almost sees a run of 26 turn sour when he catches the green off a pot on the blue.
The Englishman takes on an audacious red with little angle in the centre of the table and rockets a belting pot to the right corner.
It should pave a path towards a frame-winning position but he misses a much easier red up to the green pocket to come up shy on 33 instead.
HIGGINS 2-3 LISOWSKI (5-8)
Higgins earns applause as he takes on a long plant on a red to the left corner from the jaws of the yellow pocket.
The Scot again comes up short after a moment of magic as he fails to tease a slow-paced pink up to middle left.
It sums up this match and makes it hard to call what is going top happen next!
HIGGINS 2-3 LISOWSKI (4-8)
Higgins puts Lisowski back in but it’s the wrong choice as ‘Jack-Pot’ spies a red to the right corner from a central area and rolls it home.
Once again his position off a pot on a red to the right corner goes awry and he’s forced to play off the black to baulk.
John doesn’t make anything of the let off as he also goes in-off and this messy start to Frame 6 continues.
HIGGINS 2-3 LISOWSKI (0-4)
An excellent safety exchange ends with Higgins missing another long attempt on a red to the left corner by some distance.
Jack goes one worse when he goes in-off to the same pocket with the sequence of play again demonstrating that neither layer is firing on all cylinders here.
AROUND THE TABLES
- Tahir 1-3 Heathcote
- M. Williams 2-2 Lam
- Woollaston 0-2 Saengkham
HIGGINS 2-3 LISOWSKI
Jack teases a red along the bottom to the left corner but needs to pull-off his own plant to continue his run shy of 20, which he duly does with an excellent jab to the right corner.
The Englishman rides his luck a bit with a red and then a black on the stretch that clunks with the jaw and somehow drop down.
It keeps him on track and helps him to pass the half century.
A smart pot on the penultimate red down the left flank earns him a round of applause and he’s at it again with the final red down the opposite rail.
It’s routine colours off the spots from there as Jasck hits the front again to steal the frame with an 88 clearance up to a miss on the black.
HIGGINS 2-2 LISOWSKI (46-0)
The danger for Jack was always going to be that his lapses might allow John to play his way into a bit of rhythm and form.
The Scot suddenly has some of that old Mojo flowing and a run of 15 looks like it could develop into something impressive when he cannons into the pack off a pot on the black to open up the table.
The four-time British Open champion’s flow off red-black combos moves him well clear in the blink of an eye, but just when you think he’s about to produce something special, he misses a plant on a red to the left corner.
AROUND THE TABLES
- Tahir 1-2 Heathcote
- M. Williams 1-1 Lam
- Woollaston 0-2 Saengkham
HIGGINS 2-2 LISOWSKI
Higgins takes advantage of the open table with a run of 22 helping him pull level from 2-0 down.
HIGGINS 1-2 LISOWSKI (45-8)
Lisowski ends a barren run with long pot attempts by sinking a red to the right corner.
It isn’t the catalyst for a return to form as he misses a long yellow up to the green pocket and that will surely be that in terms of this frame.
HIGGINS 1-2 LISOWSKI (45-7)
Higgins takes control of the table once more with a long red and a close-range blue to the green pocket.
There’s still plenty of work to be done here, but he puts himself in the driving seat with a black off the spot that nudges the two reds south of it.
Another excellent black to the left corner almost ends in disaster but the cue ball slows in time to avoid knocking in a red hovering over the middle right bag.
He then rockets a red just north of the pack to the left, but catches the black on the way.
It leaves him out of position on a break of 23, but his safety tempts Lisowski into an attempt at potting the red near the middle right via two cushions.
He misses it by some way and the foul leaves him with even more work to do to try and rescue this frame.
HIGGINS 1-2 LISOWSKI (18-7)
Ouch.
This time Lisowski makes a mess of a good situation as he follows up a simple red with a sloppy pot on the pink over the right pocket that leaves him out of position.
HIGGINS 1-2 LISOWSKI (18-0)
Jack’s radar is way off now and another miss on a long red presents John with another opening.
This time the four-time world champion takes advantage, rolling in some routine red-black combos.
A neat red up to middle right tees up a pink down to the same corner, but he overcuts it and his travails continue!
HIGGINS 1-2 LISOWSKI (1-0)
It’s far from vintage from both players now.
Lisowski misses a long red to tee up Higgins perfectly for a red to the left corner, but he contrives to clip the black on the way through and instantly runs out of position.
That’s a shocker from the Scot and doesn’t he know it…
HIGGINS 1-2 LISOWSKI
Higgins gets in for what feels like the umpteenth time and knocks a red to middle left before teasing the yellow to its home pocket.
He’s struggled on long pots, but Jack has left him a nice table to begin with and a red down the right rail is followed by a routine black to put him firmly in the box seat.
An excellent positional pot on the black leaves him above a red on the left rail that he pops down via the rest and he routinely works his way to the colours from there.
It wasn’t the best of frames, but it’s the Scot who finds some rhythm when it matters and he goes on the reduce the arrears with a 62 clearance up to the pink.
HIGGINS 0-2 LISOWSKI (26-19)
Jack makes sure of the red to middle left this time and plays off the blue but when he slams a brown to the green pocket, he has too much on the cue ball and ends up needing a very fine cut on a red to the left corner.
It doesn’t come off and this scrappy frame remains up for grabs!
HIGGINS 0-2 LISOWSKI (26-8)
Jack gets up and running with a red along the bottom rail, but he soon comes unstuck with a red up to middle left that catches the jaw and pops out.
Higgins has a red to the right corner, but contrives to miss that too.
HIGGINS 0-2 LISOWSKI (26-0)
There’s a smile from both players as Lisowski’s attempt to play slowly into the pack goes dreadfully wrong, leaving the cue ball in mid-table.
Higgins slaps a red to the right but fluffs his lines on a brown to the green pocket and it opens the door for Jack once more.
HIGGINS 0-2 LISOWSKI (21-0)
Higgins finds himself in a bit of a pickle behind the green tight to baulk, but he swerves around it and manages to clip a red near to the right corner down.
It’s a beauty of a shot and he just about gets the position for a fine cut on the green to its own pocket.
Sadly for him, he ends up tight to the pack and plays off a touching ball up to baulk.
HIGGINS 0-2 LISOWSKI (17-0)
Lisowski takes on a trio of long reds, gets away with it one two occasions but then rolls in-off on the third.
Higgins swoops in to knock a red up in baulk to the green pocket and works down to sink a blue to middle right.
The Scot plays off the blue again to take the red north of the pack to the left corner.
The use of left screw into the pack doesn’t go well and there’s no sign of a poker-face with that grimace as his run ends on 13.
AROUND THE TABLES
- Tahir 1-0 Heathcote
- M. Williams 0-1 Lam
- Woollaston 0-0 Saengkham
HIGGINS 0-2 LISOWSKI
Lisowski punishes Higgins for the failure on the brown with a mid-range red to the bottom right.
A blue to middle left tees him up to attack the reds near the bottom deck and he rolls one to the right to tee up the black to the opposite corner.
Jack brings a tricky penultimate red off the bottom cushion via a pot on the black and duly cuts it home.
There’s a heart in mouth moment with a tough pink but it just about falls and the final red is routine.
He’s not quite over the line when position goes awry but he plays a wonderful, slow-paced yellow down to middle left to leave Higgins needing a snooker.
A tickle of the green near the yellow pocket via the rest is enough to send it down and he ends up on a break of 50 that John isn’t interested in trying to recover from.
HIGGINS 0-1 LISOWSKI (38-17)
Higgins misses another long red to the right but is given another chance when Lisowski’s cut on a red to the green pocket doesn’t quite work out.
John takes said red on from the bottom of the table and clips it home.
However, a poor miss on the brown to the same bag gives Jack a lifeline.
HIGGINS 0-1 LISOWSKI (36-17)
Higgins appears to have something in his eye and a long attempt on a red down the right rail misses by a mile.
It doesn’t prove costly but it’s one to keep tabs on as the match develops.
Indeed, the Scot fails with another attempt by some distance but is relieved that he isn’t punished by his opponent.
There’s an impasse as the cue ball is left tight to the pack, but The Wizard of Wishaw breaks it to get on the board.
The four-time world champion plays off the blue to develop some rhythm and then needs the full extension of the rest to jab in the black hovering over the left corner pocket.
A tricky red along the bottom deck jostles with the jaws of the right pocket but decides to drop and the world number six hits the front on the board.
There are still seven reds remaining when Higgins runs out of position and on a break of 36 he plays safe up to the left side of baulk.
HIGGINS 0-1 LISOWSKI (0-17)
Higgins still hasn’t settled and leaves the cue ball mid-table, allowing Jack to drill a red to the left corner.
A succession of loose reds are potted around the black, but his attempt to split the pack off a cut up to a red just south of it lacks pace and although he clinches the pot, he has nothing on beyond that and has to retreat up to baulk.
AROUND THE TABLES
- Result! - Bingyu 4-1 Zehunag
- Result! - Hawkins 4-0 Yuan
- Result! - McGuigan 4-3 He
- Tahir 0-0 Heathcote
- M. Williams 0-0 Lam
- Woollaston 0-0 Saengkham
HIGGINS 0-1 LISOWSKI
Lisowski drills another lovely long red to the right corner after a horrible miscue from Higgins tight to baulk had seen him open with a foul.
Jack quickly works his way into the reds around the black, playing a delicious cannon off a red to pot the colour and stay in prime position.
The world number 29 plays up to the blue, coming back off baulk and the upper right cushion to take on a red down to the left corner.
It’s majestic work from the Cheltenham lad and when he slips a black to the right flank he passes the half century and pretty much has the frame wrapped up.
Higgins can only watch on as Jack-Pot posts a break of 76, but he mucks up his chances of the century when he snookers himself behind the pink.
It matters little in terms of the board as Lisowski bags the opener.
HIGGINS 0-0 LISOWSKI (0-16)
That’s a belting start. Jack takes on the first long red of the day and nails it to the left corner.
A green up to its home pocket brings him mid-table where he leans in to sizzle a red down to the right corner.
It’s déjà vu off the green and he comes off the upper right cushion to land beautifully on a red just north of the black and separate from the pack.
After despatching that routine red he cuts the black to the right bag and attempts to unsettle the pack, but position goes awry and he opts to play safe to baulk.
Show time!
Our focus is going to be on four-time world champion Higgins against ‘Jack-Pot’ Lisowski.
That’s followed by a tussle of world champions as 2025 winner Zhao Xintong faces the man who came out on top in 2015, Stuart ‘Ball-run’ Bingham.
It’s best of seven in round two and the action will be underway very, very shortly.
Good afternoon
It's time for some electrifying second-round action with John Higgins taking on Jack Lisowski as our lead match this afternoon, while Mark Williams is also taking to the table.
This evening, Neil Robertson leads a packed schedule of top matches.
- - -
Watch and stream top snooker action, including the Xi'an Grand Prix, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement