Higgins, Wu to clash in World Snooker Tour International Championship final

NANJING, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- John Higgins defeated Stephen Maguire 9-2 in the semifinals of the 2025 World Snooker Tour International Championship on Saturday, setting up a final clash with China's Wu Yize.

The best-of-17-frame semifinal was played over two sessions in a single day to decide who would advance to the final.

During the match, Higgins, 50, was in scorching form, producing two century breaks and five 50-plus breaks, and the veteran surged into a commanding lead by winning the first six frames. Although Maguire responded with a 114 break in the seventh frame and clawed back two more, he still trailed 2-6 at the end of the first session. After the interval, Higgins continued his dominance, ultimately sealing a resounding 9-2 victory to advance to the final.

Higgins said he got off to a good start, aimed to play well, and felt he hadn't missed many easy chances or given Maguire many opportunities, calling it a great performance for him.

The final will be held on Sunday, adopting a best-of-19-frame format, in which Higgins will take on Wu, 22.

"I'm going to play my best," Higgins said. "I don't know how many more finals I will compete in during my career, so I should really enjoy it."

In the other semifinal held the previous day, Wu secured a spot in the final with a 9-6 victory over newly crowned world champion compatriot Zhao Xintong.

"I will have a good rest and just try to maintain my form," said Wu.

The tournament features a total prize pot of 825,000 pounds (1.09 million U.S. dollars), with the champion set to pocket 175,000 pounds. ■