John Higgins staged a dramatic comeback at the Crucible Theatre, battling not only his opponent but also overwhelming emotions to secure a 10-7 victory over Joe O’Connor in their first-round clash. The four-time world champion, aged 49, found himself trailing after a lackluster morning session, but summoned his vast experience and inner resolve to turn the match around in the evening.
Higgins, who has enjoyed a resurgence in form with a recent Tour Championship title win, admitted that he was emotionally drained coming into the match due to personal issues. His father-in-law had suffered a heart attack the previous week, and the weight of family concerns clearly affected his mindset.
“This was the most emotional I’ve ever been,” Higgins revealed tearfully after the match. “I left my wife in tears. I was having dinner with my son last night and it brought back memories of being here with my dad 25 years ago.”
Despite his struggles, Higgins edged ahead at 6-5 and finally found fluency in the 12th frame, notching his first century of the match. O’Connor, who had come agonizingly close to a 147 earlier in the day, kept fighting and leveled at 7-7. But the veteran Scot drew on his decades of experience, finding a higher gear when it mattered most to close out the match by winning the final three frames.
Meanwhile, Mark Allen also progressed to the last 16 with a 10-6 win over Chinese qualifier Fan Zhengyi. Allen, 39, has endured a challenging season that has seen him slip from world number one to eighth in the rankings. However, the Northern Irishman is drawing motivation from recent Crucible success stories, including Kyren Wilson and Luca Brecel, who both captured the world title after underwhelming seasons.
“The form book doesn’t always matter here,” Allen said after his win. “Kyren and Luca came in without great form and still managed to lift the trophy. If they can do it, why not me?”
Allen, who had trailed 3-0 early in the match, surged to victory with a run of four consecutive frames, featuring breaks of 88 and 102. Although Fan responded with runs of 86 and 74, Allen’s superior consistency saw him through. A composed break of 63 sealed the win and booked his spot in the next round.
Allen’s next challenge will be against Chris Wakelin, who narrowly defeated former world champion Neil Robertson in a gripping late-night encounter. With top seeds Kyren Wilson and Jak Jones already eliminated from Allen’s quarter of the draw, the path to a deep tournament run has opened up.
Elsewhere, Crucible debutant Zak Surety showed signs of promise in his opening match against Ding Junhui. Despite a nightmare start that saw him lose the first four frames, Surety recovered with a spirited fightback, including a superb century break of 104 to end the session trailing 6-3. The underdog will hope to build on that momentum when the match resumes.
With drama, resilience, and emotional intensity on display, the 2025 World Snooker Championship is already delivering the kind of gripping narratives that make the Crucible a stage like no other.
