John Higgins encountered a mishap during his Scottish Open match against Noppon Saengkham due to a referee error in repositioning a ball. The 50-year-old faced off against the Thai snooker player in the second round on Wednesday night.
After Saengkham secured the first frame following a 36-minute battle, the game spiraled into confusion when Higgins inadvertently made contact with the pink while aiming for a distant red ball.
Referee Colin Humphries attempted to correct the situation by moving the ball and repositioning the reds. However, the scenario took a strange turn as Humphries struggled to identify the correct ball, disrupting the original layout further.
In a prolonged discussion with the marker to determine the accurate positions, Higgins sat patiently while commentator David Hendon lightheartedly remarked on the unfolding chaos. Eventually, after multiple attempts at repositioning, the frame was nullified, leading to a re-rack by both players.
Saengkham went on to secure a 4-0 victory over Higgins, capping off the match with an impressive 100-break. This incident marked another peculiar occurrence involving the Scottish snooker star in recent competitions.
In his previous match against Antoni Kowalski, Higgins found himself in an amusing situation where his cue accidentally knocked into the nearby red balls after using the spider. Despite the mishap, Higgins maintained a good-natured demeanor, eliciting laughter from commentators.
As the match unfolded, Hendon humorously commented on the unexpected turn of events, highlighting the lighter side of the game. Fellow commentator Neal Foulds, while stifling his laughter, acknowledged the uniqueness of the situation involving a renowned player like Higgins.
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