John Higgins Stages Comeback to Reach Tour Championship Semi-Finals

Posted : 03 April 2026

John Higgins pulled off another dramatic comeback at the Sportsbet.io Tour Championship, overturning an 8-5 deficit to defeat Mark Selby 10-8. The match mirrored last year’s final, when Higgins also recovered from a similar position to claim victory.

With the win, Higgins advances to the semi-finals where he will meet Zhao Xintong on Saturday. Approaching his 51st birthday, Higgins could become the oldest winner of a ranking event if he takes the title.

Although he has yet to lift a trophy this season, Higgins has remained a consistent force in tournaments, reaching six semi-finals and winning three of the previous five. This semi-final appearance marks his 93rd career ranking semi-final, just three short of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record of 96, further underlining his remarkable longevity in snooker.

The match began in Selby’s favour, with the Englishman taking the opening frame with a break of 127. Higgins then had several opportunities to respond but made errors in key moments, allowing Selby to extend his lead to 8-5. After the interval, Higgins found his rhythm. Capitalising on Selby’s positional mistakes, he mounted a five-frame streak to complete the comeback, highlighted by breaks of 92, 74, 78, and 72.

Reflecting on the victory, Higgins said, “At 8-5 I was just thinking back to last year’s final and keeping positive thoughts… The game just spun around.” He added that he feels in the best form of his career, enjoying big matches while staying relaxed and focused.

Higgins’ semi-final opponent, Zhao Xintong, is in scintillating form, having already won the World Grand Prix and Players Championship this season. Zhao dispatched Chris Wakelin 10-4, making five centuries in the process and closing in on a historic sweep of all three Players Series events in the same season.

The 29-year-old is also chasing a possible 100-century season, currently sitting on 73, and looks poised to challenge for the £150,000 top prize at the Tour Championship.

Zhao dominated his match with impressive consistency, producing breaks of 103, 93, 58, 120, 134, 108, 50, and 101. After leading 5-3 from the first session, he wrapped up the last four frames with authority, ensuring a confident run into his fourth ranking semi-final of the season and eighth of his career.

The stage is now set for a high-stakes clash between Higgins and Zhao, pitting experience and resilience against youthful precision and momentum in the Tour Championship semi-finals.

John Higgins Stages Comeback to Reach Tour Championship Semi-Finals

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