Saudi Arabian ‘golden’ 167 break escape for John Higgins during the Riyadh Season of the World Masters of Snooker

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Saudi Arabian ‘golden’ 167 break escape for John Higgins during the Riyadh Season of the World Masters of Snooker
released on March 4

Share John Higgins, a snooker player, attempts a shot
GETTY IMAGES, THE IMAGE SOURCE
Image caption: Throughout his career, John Higgins has achieved 11 maximum breaks and taken home about £10 million in prizes.

At the first Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker, when the new golden ball was introduced, John Higgins nearly became the first player to compile a 167 break and win £395,000.

Higgins, 48, a four-time world champion, converted fifteen reds and blacks but overreached when it came to the yellow.

For the Saudi Arabia event, which will include the best players in the world, the golden ball has been brought in.

A player scores a 147, therefore they possess the opportunity to break the record by 167.

For as long as a player can still finish the maximum break, the golden ball, which is worth 20 points, is positioned on the top cushion. When the possibility to score a break is gone, the ball is withdrawn.

Scotland’s Higgins was poised to make history in the opening set of his second-round match against Mark Williams of Wales on the first day of the competition.

However, the former world champion was unable to overcome the yellow, ending with a break of 120 and grinning and shaking his head.

Higgins, the world champion in 1998, 2007, 2009, and 2011, defeated Williams 4-2 to get to the quarterfinals where he faced Englishman Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Allen is not participating in the Saudi event’s “politics”

The top 10 players in the world, led by seven-time world champion O’Sullivan, will compete in the event along with two local wildcards.

In the other first-round match on Monday, Ali Carter of England defeated Ding Junhui of China 4-3 to advance to the round of eight.

In the preliminary round, Higgins and Ding—ranked ninth and tenth in the world—began with decisive victories over Omar Alajlani of Saudi Arabia and Ali Alobaidli of Qatar.