On March 6, 2024, according to senior sports editor Cuban, the introduction of the Golden Ball means that the stars have a chance to score 167 points at the World Masters in Riyadh season. British legend John Higgins won 4-2 against Mark Williams.
Higgins missed out on becoming the first player to score 167 points in Saudi Arabia after some fans on the field distracted him.
Higgins competed in the inaugural Riyadh season World Masters, which introduced a 20-point Golden Ball, increasing the maximum score in a single stroke from 147 to 167. If a player scores 167 points, they will receive £400,000.
Higgins came close to making history when he had a chance to score 167 in a 4-2 win over Williams, but the four-time world champion had to settle for a 120 in a single stroke as he was nearly penalized for a yellow ball.
However, when Higgins was ready to hit the final black ball, some fans came into his sight and his concentration was interrupted. Eurosport commentator Dominique Dale noted: "Oh no, there are people walking around in front of his line of sight. This is the last thing he wants to see at this time. ”
Higgins was able to hit the black ball, but the white ball eventually touched the yellow ball, making his next shot almost impossible. Unfortunately, not only did the 48-year-old miss the game, but some fans were unhappy with his brief distraction.
One netizen wrote on social **: "Higgins missed 167 points because the idiots were walking around at the most critical moment of the game! What a pity. Higgins himself admitted after the game that he was very nervous.
Higgins told Eurosport: "I lost sensation in my feet, arms and legs. I walked past Williams and he said, 'Listen, I'm never nervous, but my hands are sweating watching you try to storm the Ballon d'Or!' ’”
"It's an incredible feeling, but it's also disappointing. I think in my mind, the pink ball is not good, so I was thinking about it the whole time during the clearance, but I tried it anyway. I've blended in, I'm just thinking about something happy. ”
Higgins faced the Rockets in the last eight, and he had previously beaten wildcard Arobedley in qualifying. He added: "Great wins, it's tough to play Williams at any time, it's great to win the fight. ”
It's a pity that in the just-concluded top 8 showdown, Higgins lost 4 games in a row and was bloodied by the Rockets, who shot three consecutive shots to break 100 and a shot of 82 points. It included three clean innings, and it was clear that the Rockets were trying to hit the perfect shot for four consecutive innings. (Welcome to click to follow the moisturizing ab**, please indicate the source, thank you).