Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories FreeSnooker Higgins to face Williams in quarter-finals as O'Sullivan in control at World Championship Higgins held his nerve to win his marathon clash against Xiao Guodong. 11.29pm, 26 Apr 2025 Share options JOHN HIGGINS WILL face Mark Williams in the World Championship quarter-finals after the Scot emerged with a 13-12 victory from his marathon clash with Xiao Guodong. After the contest could not be finished inside three sessions, the pair resumed on Saturday evening with Higgins 12-11 up. And the four-time Crucible champion looked to be closing in on the last eight in frame 24, only to foul by inadvertently potting the pink, allowing Xiao to force a decider. Higgins then composed himself to finally see off the Chinese world number 14 with a break of 75. WHAT AN EPIC! It took four sessions, it took 10 hours…but John Higgins found a way…he beats Xiao Guodong 13-12 in a nerve-shredding thriller And it is Mark Williams next 👀#HaloWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/Lc0kbniozq— WST (@WeAreWST) April 26, 2025 Advertisement He told the BBC: “What a weird feeling that was, getting home when you know you’re coming back for only one or two frames, it’s just a surreal feeling. “I thoroughly enjoyed the game, I really did, because it’s just an unbelievable venue to play in. “You’re playing good some minutes, the pressure is on you, the crowd are all getting involved. You can’t replicate playing here.” Three-time winner Williams got through after wrapping up a 13-10 victory over Hossein Vafaei earlier in the day. After going from 9-7 up at the start of the session to 11-8 ahead, Williams saw Vafaei take the next two frames to get within one of levelling before the Welshman wrapped things up, finishing with a break of 115. Ronnie O’Sullivan was in control against Pang Junxu as the seven-time champion finished the first session of their last-16 match with a 6-2 lead. O’Sullivan claimed each of the first four frames, posting breaks of 58, 91, 50 and 63, before Pang got off the mark by registering the contest’s first century break, making a 119. The ‘Rocket’ swiftly hit back to secure frame six and after Pang took frame seven, O’Sullivan concluded the session by re-establishing a four-frame advantage to take into Sunday’s resumption. Luca Brecel, who lifted the trophy in 2023, made a ruthless start against Ding Junhui, surging to a 7-1 lead. After Ding took the opener with a break of 141, Brecel’s emphatic response included him posting two century breaks of his own, a 121 in the second frame and 100 in the fifth. Zhao Xintong leads Lei Peifan 10-6 after winning the morning session 5-3. Press Association Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Higgins to face Williams in quarter-finals as O'Sullivan in control at World Championship ”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Higgins to face Williams in quarter-finals as O'Sullivan in control at World Championship ”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion World Snooker Championship News in 60 seconds Chris Eubank Jr seals unanimous decision victory in grudge match with Conor Benn 18 mins ago Defending champions McIlroy and Lowry remain in contention at Zurich Classic 43 mins ago Late drama as Sligo Rovers rescue draw against 10-man Cork City FreeCrushing Ulster pipped by Sharks at the death in blow to URC play-off hopes Freeresponse Ian Wright ‘can’t accept’ Eni Aluko apology after controversial punditry comments FreeControversy Wexford boss Rossiter dismayed by awarding of Dublin goal after sliotar didn't appear to cross line FreeLeinster SHC 2-8 for mercurial Mannion as Galway bounce back against blundering Offaly As it happened Scotland v Ireland, Women's Six Nations FreeImpressive Scarlets hand Leinster second defeat of season to boost play-off hopes Carty's Connacht, new face for Leinster, Stockdale's Ulster switch Frustration Connacht's play-off hopes suffer huge blow with disappointing defeat to Lions more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account