'Proud of myself' - John Higgins celebrates 'special clearance' that settled Mark Allen classic at World Championship - Eurosport

The blog post was shared on April 29th, 2024, at 10:41 pm Greenwich Mean Time.

"John Higgins Triumphs With Thrilling Win Over Mark Allen"

McManus and White express their disbelief regarding Higgins' exceptional victory over Allen, deeming it as an incredibly astounding feat.

John Higgins expressed his satisfaction with a remarkable win against Mark Allen at the World Championship on Monday evening. He described his match-winning performance as a "special clearance" and stated that he felt a sense of pride after the thrilling victory.

During the game, the score was even at 12-12. Allen had a substantial lead of 62-0, but he failed to make a red shot that many assumed he would succeed at, creating a challenging challenge for Higgins to attempt.

Nevertheless, Higgins performed exceptionally well with a red double and skillful positioning. Furthermore, he showed remarkable composure under pressure, adding an impressive 64 points to secure his spot in the quarter-finals. He is set to go against Kyren Wilson in the next round.

Higgins had a chat with Eurosport in the studio following his victory and talked about his choice to attempt the double.

He expressed uncertainty, saying "I am unsure. Initially, I had doubts about the compatibility of the color red, but I am now inclined to take the risk and proceed with it. There is a slim possibility of success, where you might be able to attain it and clear the hurdle."

The moment it entered, a sense of tranquility swept over me.

Higgins displayed an uncommon feeling when he triumphed over Allen in an epic game.

After the victory, Allen gave credit to the previous top-ranked player in the world, who still stands out as one of the greatest athletes on the circuit.

Higgins responded, "It tugged at my heartstrings a bit. Mark is a complete gentleman and shared some kind remarks. Afterwards, I went to the locker room on my own and shed a few tears because I knew that it was a truly exceptional accomplishment."

I'm thrilled with how I managed to keep up with Mark when the score was 7-5. The quality of the game wasn't outstanding and it dragged on for a bit.

At times, I'm simply mesmerized by him and ponder to myself, 'why can't he perform like this always?' He's an exceptional athlete when he's on a winning streak. In my opinion, he will definitely come out victorious in this competition sometime in the future, but he has to maintain that momentum because his performance deteriorates when he's uncertain of his abilities.

Today, let me talk about Mark's courage. He has an amazing amount of bravery and I never thought he would miss the red ball. This is something I have always admired about him.

'Higgins the Great Clearer' scores impressive two shots towards triumph

During the interview, Higgins didn't want to admit the strength he had shown, and his abilities that came with it.

But at last, he admitted: "I am extremely happy. I believe I will realize later how extraordinary that achievement was. I am content with my performance."

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