Moody Triumphs Over Higgins in Milestone Match
John Higgins, who began his professional snooker career in 1992 and has secured 33 ranking titles, was narrowly defeated by 19-year-old Stan Moody at the World Open. The match marked Higgins' 2,000th professional appearance.
During the second-round encounter in Yushan, China, Higgins, aged 50, staged a comeback from a 4-1 deficit to level the match at 4-4 against Moody, who is ranked 47th globally. However, Moody maintained composure and produced a break of 65 in the deciding frame to eliminate the four-time world champion with a 5-4 victory.
"I watched John growing up and learning the game. To beat him in an important match out in China and to do it with a lot of breaks as well is a good feeling," Moody told World Snooker.
"John is a class act. I knew if I let him back in he would come back, so I'm glad I managed to hold my nerve in the decider."
Following this win over the defending champion Higgins, Moody will face Welsh player Ryan Day in the third round.
Other Matches at Yushan Sport Centre
In other matches held at the Yushan Sport Centre, Masters champion Kyren Wilson secured a 5-2 victory against Lyu Haotian. World number one Judd Trump advanced comfortably with a 5-1 win over Florian Nuessle.
World champion Zhao Xintong edged out fellow Chinese player Long Zehuang with a 5-4 scoreline. Additionally, Mark Williams, Gary Wilson, and Jackson Page progressed to the next round by defeating Ricky Walden, Aaron Hill, and Liu Wenwei, respectively.
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