Fifty-year-old John Higgins delivered a masterclass in resilience, overturning an 8-5 deficit to defeat Mark Selby 10-8 and secure his spot in the Tour Championship semi-finals in Manchester.
Echoing his victory over Selby in last year's final, the Scottish legend initially claimed the opening session. However, he was soon relegated to a spectator role as his fellow four-time world champion caught fire, stringing together five consecutive frames highlighted by brilliant breaks of 127 and 131.
But the seasoned veteran refused to fold. Capitalizing on a few unlucky rolls for Selby, Higgins showcased his trademark composure under pressure. He aggressively punished his opponent's slip-ups with a devastating sequence of breaks—scoring 56, 92, 74, 78, and 72—to snatch the victory and replicate his triumph from a year ago.
"I thought he was beginning to hit the ball superbly so you are thinking maybe it could be the same as last year," Higgins said after the match. "That is all I was hoping. It came true again. He went into the balls and didn't land on one and you are thinking maybe it is my turn. I was delighted the way I dug in."
Higgins will now face reigning world champion Zhao Xintong on Saturday. Zhao celebrated his upcoming 29th birthday in style by dismantling Chris Wakelin in a decisive 10-4 victory earlier on Thursday.
The Chinese sensation dominated the baize, securing a 5-3 lead after the first session with breaks of 103, 93, and 120. He maintained his blistering pace upon resumption, burying Wakelin with impressive breaks of 134, 108, 50, and 101 to effortlessly close out the match.
Meanwhile, Australia's Neil Robertson also punched his ticket to the final four, surviving a tough test against Barry Hawkins to win 10-8. The 2021 and 2022 tournament champion found himself trailing 7-5 but rallied to win five of the final six frames, booking a blockbuster Friday showdown against world number one Judd Trump.
"Things weren't going well. At 7-5 I had to regroup, I tried to hang in there," Robertson explained. "If I am going to have any chance of doing well in the World Championship where not every session goes your way, you need to find a way to get through it. It's a great win because alongside John Higgins and Mark Selby, Barry is one of the hardest players to beat."