Higgins keeps qualifying hopes alive - 01/11/2007

Guildford Spectrum
John Higgins 4–2 Jimmy White
Higgins' scores first
71-1 (Higgins 65), 106-4 (Higgins 105), 64-0 (Higgins 64), 59-68 (Higgins 31, White 30), 54-32 (Higgins 32), 8–93 (White 45, 36).

JOHN HIGGINS hauled himself off the bottom of the 2007 PartyBets.com Premier League Snooker after securing his first win of the campaign against Jimmy White at the Guildford Spectrum.

The Scotsman looked well placed for a century in the opening frame, but missed an easy red when on 65, although he was soon able to make amends with a 105 break in frame two, after being allowed in when White missed a brown off its spot.

Higgins was on top, and White surprisingly elected not to try and make his way back in to the match in frame three when he conceded at 64 – 0 behind despite there being 59 remaining on the table.

The popular Londoner was off the mark in the next, mopping up the last three colours to sneak back in to contention after Higgins missed a simple brown – again off the spot.

Frame five was more scrappy and after Higgins missed a straight red when 35 points ahead White looked set to stay in with a shot of a draw.

However he missed a straightforward red after working his way into contention with some good positional play, and in his frustration conceded the frame to hand Higgins victory.

Some pride was restored for White in the final frame though as breaks of 45 and 36 gave him a second frame of the evening but it was Higgins whose hopes of qualification survived to live another day.

"It was great to win, I wasn't relaxed through – the cue ball was all over the place, it felt really light and gave me some problems," Higgins said.

"I'm delighted to win obviously, my last two matches against Ding and Steve Davis are crucial for me to qualify and I'll need to be at my best."