Stephen Hendry was left astonished by John Higgins' uncharacteristic error during the first frame of their Masters match at Alexandra Palace, threatening to eat his shoe if the mistake happened again. The four-time world champion missed a snooker three times in the opening frame, gifting Barry Hawkins the early lead.
Hendry, commentating for the BBC, said: 'I just can't explain it. When he's missed it twice, I said in here, If he misses again, I'll eat my shoe. I cannot believe John Higgins has missed that snooker three times, it's incredible.' The seven-time world champion also criticised a poor positional shot as an 'elementary' error that could prove costly.
Despite the shaky start, Higgins recovered impressively, reeling off six frames to win 6-2 and match the scoreline of every match in the tournament so far. The 46-year-old produced six breaks exceeding 50 and sank nearly every long pot, leaving Hendry to eat his words rather than his shoe.
Higgins, who won the World Open and Tour Championship last season, admitted his preparation was far from ideal. 'I didn't practice that much over Christmas. Then I was stuck in Amsterdam for a few days waiting for a flight home,' he said. 'But I wanted to enjoy it tonight. I am just smiling more and staying relaxed.'
Higgins will face world champion Zhao Xintong in the quarter-finals, a match he is looking forward to. 'He plays at a really good pace and he's a great champion,' said Higgins. The remaining first-round matches see Judd Trump take on Ding Junhui and Neil Robertson face Chris Wakelin, who replaced the injured Ronnie O'Sullivan.
