John Higgins booked his place in the last 32 of the British Open with a gritty 4-3 victory over Jack Lisowski on Tuesday, setting up a clash with reigning world champion Zhao Xintong on Wednesday night. The four-time world champion had to battle back twice from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 before sealing the match in style with a 132 break in the decider.
Drawn against Zhao in Cheltenham’s Centaur arena, Higgins acknowledged he will need to raise his game after a performance he admitted was patchy despite the late flourish. He pointed to Mark Allen’s English Open title run last week, where Allen won five deciding frames, including a tense 9-8 final against Zhou Yuelong as proof of how perseverance can turn a tournament around.
Currently ranked world No. 6, Higgins is chasing a record-extending fifth British Open crown, having previously lifted the trophy in 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2004. Reflecting on his display, he conceded: “The century in the last frame was really the only highlight. I dragged Jack down to my level and was fortunate he missed a few when it mattered. Honestly, I’ve not put the work in on the practice table and probably should have been out in round one, but that last frame has given me some belief.”
Higgins admitted Lisowski looked the sharper player when leading 3-2, but a couple of costly errors opened the door. “I know I’m lucky to still be here, but my fighting spirit is still there,” Higgins said. “Mark Allen showed last week what can happen when you keep battling, so I’ll take some inspiration from that.”
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