At the Riyadh Season World Masters, snooker star John Higgins narrowly missed out on the £395,000 prize for being the first player to accumulate a 167 break.
Higgins, 48, a four-time world champion, sank 15 blacks and 15 reds in his second-round match against Mark Williams.
That put him on track for the tournament’s maximum break of 147 and, in accordance with the rules, the opportunity to pot a golden ball for an additional 20 points.
However, Higgins’s dreams of winning a £395,000 jackpot were dashed when he overshot the yellow, distracted by activity in the stands while lining up the black prior.
According to footage from Eurosport, Higgins was getting in the way of individuals offering beverages in the Saudi Arabian crowd as he was getting ready to play a shot.
John can’t help but notice that there are individuals strolling right in front of him. “That’s the last thing he needs,” Dominic Dale, a commentator for Eurosport, stated.
The gold ball can only be potted after the last black has been sunk; it is positioned in the center of the baulk cushion.
After the maximum break potential has passed, the ball is taken off the table and set aside on a cushion by the arena’s edge.
Higgins later acknowledged that as the interval wore on, he started to feel anxious.
In actuality, I was unable to feel my legs, arms, or feet. “Listen, I never get nervous but my hands were sweating watching you try to do that break!” exclaimed Mark as I passed him. Higgins stated
Eurosport.
It’s a really amazing feeling, yet disappointing as well. I think that throughout the entire break, I was thinking that the pink wasn’t that great, but I still gave it a shot.
Higgins’ first-frame 167 attempt failure didn’t deter him for long, as he went on to defeat Williams 4-2 and set up a Tuesday quarterfinal matchup with Ronnie O’Sullivan.
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