John Higgins encountered a mishap during his Scottish Open match against Noppon Saengkham when the referee struggled to reposition a ball. The match between the 50-year-old Higgins and the Thai snooker player took an unexpected turn after the first frame, which lasted 36 minutes, with Saengkham winning.
The confusion arose when Higgins accidentally nudged the pink ball while attempting to reach a distant red, prompting the referee, Colin Humphries, to reset the balls to their original positions. However, Humphries mistakenly identified the wrong red ball, causing further disruption to the game setup.
As Humphries sought clarification from his assistant screen, the situation became increasingly chaotic, leading to a prolonged discussion with the marker while Higgins waited anxiously. Eventually, the frame had to be reset after 20 minutes of uncertainty, with both players agreeing to start afresh.
In the end, Saengkham secured a 4-0 victory over Higgins, finishing with an impressive break of 100. This incident marked another peculiar episode for Higgins, who had previously encountered amusing mishaps during his matches in the tournament.
During his earlier game against Antoni Kowalski, Higgins accidentally snookered himself after a fortunate red-ball shot, followed by an incident where his cue fell off the rack and disrupted the red balls. Despite the mishaps, Higgins maintained his composure, even eliciting laughter from the commentators.
The unpredictable events surrounding Higgins in the Scottish Open have provided entertainment for fans, showcasing the unexpected twists and turns that can occur in professional snooker tournaments.