In the early morning of March 29, Beijing time, the opening match of the 2022 Snooker Tour Championship began, and China's Zhao Xintong faced a challenge from the famous Higgins. In the previous two have played a total of 9 times, Zhao Xintong is slightly inferior to 4 wins and 5 losses. Today's game between the two sides fought 19 innings, Zhao Xintong once took an 8-4 lead, but at the critical moment Higgins came behind, in the decider Higgins seized the opportunity, and finally won the showdown 10-9, taking the lead in the semifinals.
In the first set, Zhao Xintong entered the form faster, and he scored 53 points with a single shot to win the first set 76-0. Higgins scored 63 points in the second set to win the second set 71-1. Higgins scored 53 points in the 3rd inning, then made a mistake while hitting a black ball that was not difficult, and Zhao Xintong cleared the stage to win the third set 68-57. Higgins scored a 69-pointer in the 4th inning to tie the total to 2-2.
The fifth set was strong, with a single shot of 124 points to break the baiqing platform, and won the set 125-0. In the 6th set, the two sides were very fiercely contested, and Zhao Xintong seized the opportunity to take a 4-2 lead in the next set 65-54. In the 7th set, Zhao Xintong broke the hundred again, and won this set 108-19. In the 8th set, Higgins pulled back a set 64-28, and Zhao Xintong led Higgins 5-3 in the first stage of the match.
In the 9th set, Higgins narrowly won 66-56 to regain one set, and in the 10th set Zhao Xintong was even better, he won another set 92-36 to take a 6-4 lead. In the 11th set, Zhao Xintong scored a single 128 points to win the set 128-0. In the 12th set, Zhao Xintong single-handedly blasted out 71 points again, and then took an 8-4 lead after the next set.
Higgins improved in form at the start of the 13th inning, taking five consecutive innings 9-8 to match points, with Higgins playing three consecutive rounds of 50+ innings. In the 18th set, Zhao Xintong withstood the pressure and blasted out 64 points with a single shot to drag the game into the decider. Both sides were very cautious in the decider, and the scene was at one point in a stalemate. At the crucial moment, Higgins seized the opportunity and won the tiebreaker 66-14.