Snooker: Higgins has costly off-day

Gary Ponting left John Higgins far behind yesterday after opening up a 7-1 lead in the first session of their second-round match at the Liverpool Victoria UK Championship in Preston.

Ponting, very much the underdog, stopped the tournament's second favourite in his tracks, and if he can hold his nerve this afternoon the world No 84 from Bristol will surely take two of the remaining nine frames for a place in the last 32.

Higgins, the world No 2, has rarely, if ever, played so poorly, and Ponting himself was not exactly on top of his own game.

Higgins produced his best break of 42 in the sixth frame that brought him his only success. His next highest was just 26, and last month's Grand Prix runner-up could hardly pot more than four balls at a time.

Ponting, who managed two half-centuries, was extremely fortunate to catch the Scot on such an off day.