Higginson hits maximum on way to last four

Little-known Andrew Higginson fired in a 147 break in Newport this morning as his remarkable success story in the Welsh Open continued.

The 29-year-old from Widnes made a dream debut in the quarter-finals of a world-ranking event as he highlighted his 5-1 victory over Ali Carter with a lucrative maximum in the second frame.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am with that. For someone like me, getting a maximum on telly is just unbelievable,” said Higginson, who stands 63rd in the provisional world rankings.

“In practice I’ve made dozens of 147s but, before this, never in a competition of any sort. It’s quite a stage to pick to make your first.”

Higginson, who last season was competing and being promoted from the second division Challenge Tour, knocked in a series of pressure pots on the way to collecting £22,000 – £20,000 for the maximum and £2,000 for the tournament’s highest break.

It meant that in just 11 minutes Higginson earned almost a third of his previous total career prize money since turning professional in 1996.

Higginson, who arrived in Newport having pocketed only £4,500 all season, launched the valuable break with a raking long pot – but the last red was his most memorable shot.

Having surrendered ideal position, he was forced to pot it to a middle pocket and stun the cue-ball past the blue – in and out of baulk.

The white narrowly avoided making contact with the jaws of the opposite middle pocket en route back up the table – and after Higginson had dropped perfectly for his 15th black, it was plain sailing as the colours were on their spots.

“When I got to 56 the balls started to get a little awkward. I couldn’t quite seem to land where I wanted – but I kept potting them and getting myself out of trouble,” said Higginson.

It was only the third 147 in the 15 year-history of the tournament. There have now been three 147s this season.

Higginson’s was the 56th in professional competition, the 33rd in a world- ranking event and the 29th captured by the television cameras.

Having begun in the first qualifying round, he has now negotiated seven matches to be one of snooker’s most unlikely semi-finalists.

Clearly full of confidence after beating Marco Fu, John Higgins and Michael Judge in Newport – the latter with the help of breaks of 117 and 133 - Higginson produced another top-quality display against Carter.

“After the last black of the 147, I was shaking like a leaf. It was an incredible feeling. But it was only 2-0, and I still had a match to win,” said Higginson.

“That’s why I went out of the arena for a few minutes to compose myself – and for the next two frames, all I could think about was the ’max’. I suppose it stopped me getting nervous.”

Rather than suffer an adverse reaction to the 147 – as so many players have in the past – Higginson remained in a rich vein of form, putting together further breaks of 83 and 48 in scoring 342 points without reply on the way to leading 4-0.

Carter averted the whitewash by winning frame five. But Higginson slammed the door with a 104 break – his seventh century of the tournament.

Higginson, who has now negotiated seven rounds, will face Stephen Maguire or Shaun Murphy in the last four.