Players Championship snooker: John Higgins hits two centuries in win over Ding Junhui – ‘My game is getting better’
The four-time world champion finished with breaks of 65 and 100 to seal a quarter-final place against Zhang Anda or Noppon Saengkham on Wednesday night after Ding produced 70, 125 and 127 in levelling at 4-4.
Higgins lost 10-8 to Ding in the final of the 2009 UK Championship at the Telford International Centre, but enjoyed a dramatic 10-9 win over Mark Williams to lift the UK title for a third time a year later at the same venue from 9-5 behind and needing a snooker in the 15th frame.
“I’ve had some nice memories in Telford and some sad too,” said Higgins. “I can remember beating Mark Williams to win the UK Championship and also losing to Ding. I’m still very proud that I am playing with the top boys and competing with them all.
“My game is getting better. At the start of the year, there were a few things going wrong and I was fighting my technique. I think I seem to be on top of a good bit of it.”
‘Clinical stuff’ – Higgins makes 988th career century
He is 10th in the provisional world rankings 500 points behind Ali Carter in ninth and knows a win over Noppon or Zhang in the last eight would be enough to knock Ding out of the race to qualify for Saudi.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Luca Brecel, Mark Allen, Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy have already qualified for the tournament.
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