Snooker: Maximum Helps Higginson Into Semis

Andrew Higginson's 10-year professional career, which had been enacted entirely in obscurity until this month, continued its spectacular late blossoming with a 147 maximum as he beat the world No15, Allister Carter, 5-1 to reach today's semi-finals of the Welsh Open.

The 29-year-old attributes the delay in fulfilling his potential to "giving opponents too much respect and sometimes forgetting how good I was myself". Though he was relegated from the circuit two seasons ago, he said: "I never thought of packing it in. I've always known I can play the game." Having earned promotion from the Challenge Tour, he is now heading for a top-50 ranking.

Wins over Jimmy White and Steve Davis helped him to the last 16 of the Malta Cup earlier this month and he beat Marco Fu, John Higgins and the in-form Dubliner Michael Judge here before he surpassed himself not only by compiling his maximum in the second frame, the 29th to be televised, but in controlling his elation to carry his run of unanswered points to 342 as he led 4-0. Two frames later Higginson completed his victory with a run of 104, his seventh century of a tournament which, for him, included four rounds of qualifying.

Higginson came to Newport having earned only £69,620 from the circuit in 10 years. His maximum was worth £22,000 and he is assured of another £8,750 even if he loses this evening.

Ronnie O'Sullivan - who has now gone 22 months without winning a world ranking title, although he did win last month's Masters at Wembley in brilliant fashion - was eliminated 5-4 by Neil Robertson, October's Grand Prix champion in Aberdeen, in a high-quality contest in which winner and loser made two centuries each. "I'm disappointed to lose because I fancied winning this," O'Sullivan said. "I missed a pink in the eighth and I had a chance in the last."

The former world champion let Robertson in for 124 and 4-4 but the Australian left-hander appeared to have blown his chance in the decider when he missed a dolly black on 35 through concentrating on position. O'Sullivan's response, though, ended with a failed middle-pocket cut on 45 to let Robertson in for a match-winning 39.