John Higgins Dominates Pang Junxu to Reach WST World Open Semifinals 🎱🔥 - 🌍NewspaperAmigo

John Higgins Dominates Pang Junxu to Reach WST World Open Semifinals

Four-time world champion John Higgins from Scotland delivered an impressive performance, sweeping past home favorite Pang Junxu with a decisive 5-0 victory in the World Snooker Tour (WST) World Open quarterfinals in Shangrao, Jiangxi Province, China, on Thursday.

The last time Pang clashed with Higgins was during the qualifying rounds of the Welsh Open in 2022, where Higgins triumphed 4-1. Once again, Higgins showcased his mastery by maintaining dominance over the only Chinese player in the last eight of the tournament. He opened the scoring with a stunning break of 125 in the first frame, followed by impressive breaks of 87, 96, and 81 in the subsequent frames, sealing his spot in the semifinals.

Next up, Higgins is set to face Englishman Zak Surety in what promises to be an exhilarating semifinal showdown. Surety earned his place by defeating compatriot Tom Fard with a score of 5-3 on the same day.

O'Connor Continues to Shine, Defeats Murphy 5-1

In another thrilling quarterfinal match, Joe O'Connor kept his giant-slaying streak alive by overpowering Shaun Murphy with a 5-1 win. O'Connor kicked off the match with impressive breaks of 135 and 100, leading 2-0 early on. Despite Murphy's comeback with a century break of 128 in the third frame, O'Connor maintained his momentum, clinching three straight frames, including a remarkable break of 132 in the fourth, to secure the final victory.

\"I played really well and didn't give Shaun many chances,\" O'Connor said. \"When the long pots are going in you have to punish the top players, that's what I did today and I'm proud of it. It's cementing confidence I have had for many years. This week it has all come together and hopefully I can win the trophy. If I play like that it will take a lot to stop me. I have been consistent for a while now and when my game clicks I feel I can beat anyone.\"

O'Connor will next face another English contender, Ali Carter, who made a thrilling comeback from being down 3-1 and 4-3 to edge out Barry Hawkins with a final score of 5-4. Carter has already secured two of his six ranking titles in China, setting the stage for an exciting semifinal.