John Higgins said he was “struggling to breathe” due to the pressure during his first round clash with Tian Pengfei, but ultimately rallied from 7-4 down to win 10-7 at the Betfred World Championship.
The Scot admitted that despite being a four-time winner at the Theatre of Dreams, he isn’t immune to feeling the heat inside Sheffield’s Crucible.
Higgins came into this week having shown signs of his best form this season. The 31-time ranking event winner was runner-up to Yan Bingtao at the Betfred Masters and produced scintillating snooker to win the Cazoo Players Championship, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final.