Under the bright lights of Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, China's Xiao Guodong roared back to level the match at 4-4 against Scottish world No. 3 John Higgins during the first session of the World Snooker Championship. After trailing early, Xiao's comeback set the tone for a heavyweight clash.
Higgins arrived in Sheffield on a hot streak, fresh off wins at the World Open and the Tour Championship. He wasted no time, posting breaks of 131, 62 and 54 to race to a 3-1 advantage by the mid-session interval.
But Xiao refused to let the momentum slip away. After the break, he delivered a stunning 114 century, then clinched two more frames with precision potting to edge ahead 4-3. Four-time champion Higgins responded with a composed 79 run, forcing the session to a dramatic 4-4 tie.
Play resumes Friday afternoon for the second of three sessions, and all eyes will be on who can seize control in this best-of-25 encounter.
In other first-round drama, four-time winner Mark Selby of England suffered a surprise 10-8 defeat at the hands of compatriot Ben Woollaston. Selby fought back from 6-5 down, but Woollaston held his nerve to close out the deciding frame and advance to face China's Si Jiahui.
With underdog stories unfolding and top seeds on the ropes, the World Championship promises more high-stakes action as the event progresses.
Reference(s):
Xiao Guodong holds John Higgins 4-4 at World Snooker Championship
cgtn.com
