John Higgins’ clash with Noppon Saengkham at the Scottish Open turned unexpectedly theatrical, with referee Colin Humphries at the centre of a prolonged and ultimately futile attempt to restore the balls to their original positions. What should have been a routine moment instead became a comical ordeal that ended with the frame being abandoned and re-racked.
After Saengkham edged a 36-minute opening frame, the second frame proved even more frustrating for Higgins. An early misjudgement saw him brush the pink while attempting a long red, leaving Humphries with the difficult task of replacing the pink and several scattered reds. As he repeatedly checked the overhead screen and questioned which red belonged where, each wrong move only added to the confusion.
The TNT Sports commentary team reacted with disbelief and humour as the referee struggled, with Neal Foulds joking that this clearly wasn’t on Humphries’ Christmas wish list. Higgins, visibly exasperated, remained seated with his head down throughout the saga, while the referee eventually admitted to him that he had “no clue” where the reds should go.
When play finally resumed, Higgins sensibly chose a different shot. However, after around 20 minutes of ultra-cautious safety play and little progress, both players agreed the frame was going nowhere and opted for a re-rack.
Despite the amusement for spectators and sympathy for the referee, the match ended on a sour note for the home crowd. Saengkham dominated the remainder of the contest, sealing a 4–0 victory and finishing in style with a superb century break.
Be the first to comment