Welsh Open 2024: John Higgins continues record-extending title bid with second round victory over Tian Pengfei

John Higgins continued his record-extending bid for a sixth Welsh Open title following a 4-1 second round victory over Tian Pengfei.

In a replay of their 2023 clash which Tian won 4-1 in the last 16 of the same tournament, Higgins got off to a better start to take the opening frame.

Following a cagey start, Higgins finally knocked in his first red 15 minutes into the match and followed it up with the black, as he started to get into his rhythm where he put together a break of 48.

With Tian trailing by 59 points and with a possible 56 on the table, he could not take advantage when he returned to the baize as Higgins drilled an authoritative red across the table before sinking the yellow to move 1-0 ahead.

Higgins continued his tidy form in the second frame and knocked in a break of 54 to put himself in position to double his lead. Although he was in control of the frame, Tian had moments to seize a comeback and just as Higgins looked to seal the deal, could not roll in a red.

Tian missed a tough green to the left centre and Higgins opted against potting yellow to leave his opponent in another snooker as the frame began to get scrappy. Higgins worked his way out of a snooker before Tian conceded a safety blunder, which the 46-year-old was able to take advantage of as he cleared up the yellow, green and brown for a 2-0 lead.

Higgins looked to run away with the match in the third frame but could only put a run together worth 37 before he was forced into a safety shot, having failed to open the reds off the black. But then it was all about Tian, after Higgins’ nightmare trying to get out of a snooker, the Chinese player managed a break of 51 to wrap up the frame 76-37 and close the deficit to one.

Tian tried to take the momentum into the fourth frame, but a long attempt at a red was well off the potting angle and Higgins was in place for another worthy run. He put up 32, but again, struggled to see out a frame-winning break.

Tian made a critical mistake when he missed the reds trying to run safely off one from a distance, and Higgins did not need a second invitation to put the frame to bed to restore his 3-1 advantage.

In another tightly-fought frame, Tian equalled the match-high break of 54, but Higgins hit back and struck the decisive blow to knock in a terrific clearance. He rolled in the brown to yellow pocket before sinking a tricky blue, pink and black consecutively for the win in five frames.

Higgins will play home player Ryan Day for a spot in the quarter-finals, who knocked out David Lilley by a 4-2 scoreline.