Higgins returns with a win

John Higgins made a winning return following a six-month ban from snooker today as he claimed a 4-2 success against Joe Jogia at the European Players Tour Championship in Hamm, Germany.

The Scot, a three-time world champion, was suspended in May after allegations were made against him in a News of the World investigation.

The 35-year-old was cleared of match-fixing in September but fined £75,000 after admitting breaching rules around betting following the newspaper probe.

Higgins is apprehensive about what sort of reception he would receive upon his return to the sport, and had compared today’s encounter against Jogia to a trip to the dentist.

However, he won the best-of-seven first-round match with a frame to spare to set up a meeting with Dave Harold later this evening.