Welsh Open: Selby edges Higgins to reach semi-finals
2025-02-15
Category: sports

Welsh Open SnookerVenue: Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Date: 10-16 FebruaryCoverage: Watch live on BBC Two Wales, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app.
Mark Selby edged a cagey Welsh Open quarter-final with a final frame, 5-4 win in against John Higgins in Llandudno.There was a brief interruption when Engishman Selby was leading 2-1 as a spectator became ill in the audience, later declared clear of any serious issue.Five-time champion Higgins of Scotland then levelled at 2-2 and won his third successive frame to lead for the first time.Four-time world title holder Selby took the next two frames to reclaim the lead, but Higgins again levelled to send a tense, drawn-out contest to a final frame."We both struggled and brought each other down, there were a lot of scrappy frames," Selby told World Snooker."If one of us had played better, the other might have raised his game. The only positive for me is that I got over the line and I can only improve tomorrow."If I had lost I would have been gutted, but now I can put that behind me."Meanwhile the nature of the Selby-Higgins encounter led to a delayed start for the second quarter-final in which remaining Welshman Jackson Page was taking on Belgium's 2023 World Champion Luca Brecel.Selby's semi-final opponent will be Brecel, the man who beat him in the final of the World Championship two years ago at the Crucible in Sheffield.Brecel beat Page 5-2 after they had been level 2-2 at the mid-session interval â with the Belgian player securing breaks of 94 and 76 to seal his place in the last four.Scotland's Stephen Maguire - Welsh Open winner in 2013 - sealed his place in the last four with a 5-3 victory over England's Jack Lisowski.The semi-final line up was finalised with 2009 winner Ali Carter's break of 91 sealing a 5-3 win over fellow Englishman Joe O'Connor.