John Higgins faced a challenging moment during his Scottish Open match against Noppon Saengkham when a referee error caused a disruption in the game. The 50-year-old Higgins competed against the Thai snooker player in the second round of the tournament.
Initially, the first frame proceeded as expected, with Saengkham securing the opening win after 36 minutes. However, the situation took a turn for the worse when Higgins unintentionally touched the pink ball while aiming for a distant red.
Subsequently, referee Colin Humphries had to readjust the ball positions along with the reds to their original layout. Unfortunately, an error occurred as Humphries mistakenly identified the wrong red ball, leading to further confusion in the game.
Amidst a lengthy discussion between the referee and the marker regarding the correct ball placement, Higgins patiently waited while the situation unfolded. Eventually, after Humphries struggled with repositioning the table, Higgins prepared to take his shot, with the referee comically admitting his confusion about the ball positions.
Following a series of events, the frame was nullified after 20 minutes, and both players agreed to start afresh with a re-rack. Saengkham ultimately emerged victorious with a 4-0 win over Higgins, showcasing an impressive 100 break to seal his triumph.
This incident marked another peculiar occurrence involving John Higgins in recent matches, including a noteworthy mishap during his earlier encounter with Antoni Kowalski. Despite these unusual incidents, Higgins remains a highly esteemed figure in the world of snooker.
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