England’s Stan Moody produced a composed performance to secure a 5‑4 victory over four‑time world champion John Higgins in the second round of the World Open in Yushan, China. The tightly fought contest went down to the final frame, where Moody compiled a crucial break in the decider to book his place in the third round.
Higgins, 50, who was taking part in the 2,000th professional match of his distinguished career, appeared to be mounting a comeback after trailing earlier in the contest. He fought back from a deficit to level the match and force a deciding frame, showing the resilience that has defined his long career in the sport.
But Moody, just 19 and ranked outside the world’s top 40, kept his composure when it mattered most. In the ninth and deciding frame he managed to craft a break that put him ahead and ultimately sent him through to the next stage. The young cueist described the win as particularly satisfying, recalling how he grew up watching Higgins and feeling proud to emerge on the right side of such a memorable encounter.
Moody’s reward for ousting the defending champion is a third‑round meeting with Welshman Ryan Day, offering him another opportunity to make a deeper run at this major ranking event.
Elsewhere on the second day of action at the Yushan Sport Centre, other notable results included convincing wins for Masters champion Kyren Wilson and world number one Judd Trump, while home favourite Zhao Xintong also claimed a hard‑fought victory, adding to the drama of this key tournament.
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