'Proud of myself' – Higgins celebrates 'special clearance' that settled Allen classic

John Higgins said he was “proud” of a match-winning “special clearance” against Mark Allen at the World Championship on Monday evening.

With the game tied at 12-12, Allen was 62-0 clear when he missed a red that most would have expected him to sink, leaving a tough ask for Higgins to take on.

However, a remarkable double on a red and some expert positional play – coupled with some calm nerves – saw Higgins add 64 points and move into the quarter-finals, where he will face Kyren Wilson.

Higgins spoke to Eurosport in the studio after his win, and discussed his decision to take on the double.

He said: “I don’t know. I didn’t think the red went, but I’m thinking ‘let’s go for it’. There’s a sniff of a chance you might get it and get the clearance.

“When it went in, I felt calm.”

In the aftermath of the win, Allen paid tribute to the former world No. 1, who remains one of the finest players on the tour.

Higgins replied: “I get a bit emotional. Mark is a total gentleman, said some nice words. I went into the dressing room and had a little bubble myself, because I knew it was a special clearance.

“I’m delighted the way I held on to Mark when it was 7-5, the standard wasn’t great, taking a little bit of time.

“Sometimes I’m sitting admiring him, thinking ‘why doesn’t he play like that all the time?’ He’s an unbelievable player when he gets on a bit of a roll. I think he will win this tournament in the future, but he’s got to play at that pace, because he’s not as good when he starts double-guessing himself.

“Tonight, the one thing I’ll mention about Mark is his bottle. He’s got incredible bottle, and I never in a million years thought he was going to miss that red. That’s just the one thing I’ve always said about him.”

Throughout the interview, Higgins was reluctant to acknowledge the steel he had displayed, and the talent alongside it.

But ultimately he acknowledged: “I’m over the moon. I think it will hit me later that it was a special clearance. I’m proud of myself.”