John Higgins put up incredible performances and showings that has helped him break the poor record set since the start of this year’s Masters.
Higgins marched out to play Barry Hawkins, but it was the former who came out tops. Barry Hawkins who might be called the Hawk, but it was Higgins who did the flying today, and did so in flying colours.
Higgins’ win was pretty much convincing for someone who had a place in the last-8 of the tournament. As expected, Higgins started on the front foot powering onto a 2-0 lead after winning the first two frames. It would have been nice to see Hawkins drift closer to winning a frame at this point, but he couldn’t just handle Higgins who was simply unplayable at this junction.
Just inside the hour, Higgins wrapped up another frame to make it a 3-0 lead. It’s a rather one-sided affair at the Alexandra Palace. Should we be expecting a complete whitewash?
If Higgins stays on course to win the game, he could be the first top-eight player to win his tie at the 2020 Masters. What sort of dismal record is that?
The fourth frame seemed to be a lot tighter than all other as Hawkins began to show a little of the stuff he’s made of. Or rather, why he was invited to the 16-man invitational tournament in the first place. However, his edge-of-the-seat performance didn’t count for much with Higgins soldiering on to a 4-0 lead.
It didn’t look too well for Barry Hawkins as that flurry of momentum he seemed to have gathered evaporated in the twinkle of an eye. It spelt more trouble for Hawkins when Higgins held on for a win in the fifth frame. Hawkins must be grateful for receiving an invite for the prestigious Masters’ tournament, but for now, he’s got to wave it goodbye. He came, he saw, and was conquered.
Well, not so soon, as he won the sixth frame to make the scoreline more serene at 5-1. It was a brave rally for Hawkins, but it turned out to be too late as Higgins wrapped up the night with another frame to make it 6-1. He is now poised to take on Ali Carter in the last-eight.
Written by: Roland Arum