John Higgins struggled to maintain his form in his World Snooker Championship opener, leaving the four-time champion facing a tough contest against Ali Carter.

John Higgins will need a strong comeback after letting a commanding 4–0 lead slip in his World Snooker Championship opener against Ali Carter.

The four-time world champion began impressively, racing into a 4–0 advantage with confident, clinical play. Known as the “Wizard of Wishaw,” Higgins showed his experience early on, taking the opening frame tactically and capitalizing on a Carter error in the second. A break of 76 helped him extend the lead, and he entered the mid-session interval in complete control with a 96% pot success rate.

However, momentum shifted dramatically after the break. Carter, a two-time finalist, punished Higgins’ mistakes and mounted a strong response. Although Higgins looked set to move 5–1 ahead, a missed red proved costly, allowing Carter to reduce the deficit to 4–2.

Carter then took full control, winning the seventh frame 82–0 and compiling a superb 91 break to draw level. He carried that momentum into the final frame of the session, sealing it with a 74 break to edge ahead 5–4 overnight.

Commenting on the turnaround, Stephen Hendry highlighted how quickly momentum can swing in multi-session matches, noting that the interval disrupted Higgins’ rhythm and handed the initiative to Carter. Meanwhile, Dennis Taylor pointed out that Higgins lost his sharpness in safety play after the break, a lapse that ultimately proved decisive.

The match is set to resume the following afternoon, with Higgins now facing a significant challenge to regain control.