John Higgins told a fan to “calm down” during his epic Masters win against world No.1 Judd Trump. The legendary Scottish potter edged an Alexandra Palace classic in a deciding frame to secure a spot in his first Masters final since 2021, but the match wasn’t without incident.
Trump twice had seemingly unassailable leads, firstly at 3-0 and then again at 5-3 up, but it was the experienced Higgins who found a way back into the contest. It ended a seven-game losing streak against Trump for Higgins, who found himself involved in an interaction with a fan during the encounter.
It came as Higgins was attempting to mount a comeback, with an overzealous Ally Pally fan heard shouting: “Come on, Johnny!” Higgins, unimpressed by the eager remark, responded with a coy: “Calm down, pal. Calm down.”
The excitement was certainly taken up a notch a couple of frames later when Higgins levelled it at 5-5, before going on and snatching the decider. Speaking after his win against the Juddernaut, Higgins said: “People will laugh – I think I am a better player now than I have ever been. That is what I was holding on to. To play the great champions like Judd. I am so proud.
“I had lost the last few against him. Maybe at the start of the match, he should have been 4-0 in front. It was maybe too easy for him. The fourth frame was massive. If it did go 4-0, the game is done. Then it’s 3-1 and I came out after the interval and I felt good.”
The 50-year-old added: “He is so tough to play against. I missed a couple of reds to put myself safe and then he did what he always does which is clear up. Even at 5-3, I didn’t give up. It was the same against Zhao Xintong. Who knows, maybe my name is on the trophy? You just don’t know. I think I’m a better player now than I’ve ever been. You play these great champions like Judd and I’ve lost the last few against him.”
Before concluding: “Even at 5-3 down I didn’t give up. It was the same against Zhao Xintong. Who knows, maybe my name is on the trophy? You just don’t know.”