Champion of Champions 2023 recap - Sparkling John Higgins destroys Ding Junhui in stunning display to reach semi-finals

Thanks for joining us. We will be back for the final group matches at 12:45pm on Thursday. Judd Trump against women's world champion Baipat Siripaporn before Shaun Murphy meets Gary Wilson. The winner of Group 3 takes on Barry Hawkins in the first semi-final on Friday night.

"It was a really good chance of a maximum in the first frame," says Higgins, who will face Mark Allen on Saturday night at 7pm GMT. "It seemed too easy, and I took my eye off a couple of positional shots and I paid the price. I loved it out there. I really enjoyed it, and the crowd were great. Mark is a top player, and he's won this tournament before, but I'm looking forward to playing it. Should be another good crowd in."

A closing break of 82 from Higgins to go with 96, 83, 80, 93 and 86. What can you say about that? One of the all-time greats operating at his very best. He will face Mark Allen in the last four on Saturday evening.

Another fantastic shot from John with a tough cut on a red to a top bag to remain at the table. Everything in pristine working order tonight. Break-building, long pots, safety and cue ball control. In goes the black he needs for victory and that is simply stunning from John. Has been all over this match like a rash. His best performance of the season? Must be close to it.

Loses the cue ball for once in trying to crack open the pack of reds. White off the side cushion on black, but he rams the black in like it was over the pocket. Blistering level of play here. Looks for all the world like this is game over for Ding.

Ding must be feeling the strain here as a tough red to left centre eludes him. And an easy starter on a red to a yellow pocket presents the Wishaw man with chance to build a lead in the frame he requires.

Snooker from the gods tonight from Higgins. Everything is going in the heart of the pocket. Thumps home long red before a green is canned down the table with some relish. Brilliant from John, who is inches away from carting in another red to yellow pocket. Higgins in full flow here.

A barrage of breaks from Higgins, and this will be another heavy one from the Scottish icon. Pink to left might stays out, but another quality effort of 86 to go with earlier contributions of 96, 83, 80 and 93 with Ding weighing in with 106 in the second frame.

Wonder if Mark Allen is watching this tonight back in Northern Ireland? He'll be hoping he doesn't meet Higgins in this sort of form on Saturday night. Certainly looks like he is heading 5-1 clear in the race to six. Enough reds in the open here. Break coasts to 55.

Ding trying to make things happen, but can't bag a tough red and leaves a mid-range red for Higgins to get moving in the sixth frame. This looks another decent chance for John to compile some points.

Higgins with a thumping long red to a top bag. Can't see the brown cleanly as white screws back near to the yellow. Brown wriggles in jaws, but the white ends up behind the blue. That is what you can call a huge spot of luck and then some. Just the escape from the snooker for Ding. But Ding tucks away a cracking long red seconds later. Vital that he puts together a few points at this visit.

What has Ding got in response? Difficult to tell because he's not been presented with easy chances this evening. John has made it his business to be first to the punch.

A supreme one-visit run of 93 from John that time, and he eases 4-1 to the good. No century to finish as yellow stays out, but not vital in the grand scheme of things. Needing two more frames to book his spot in the semi-finals. Looking at one with his game out there.

This is lovely from John. Really is. Really is a class act when he is in close. Not too far away from another frame in the bag. Rolls through off black to land on a red off side cush. Back out for black, and he takes the opportunity to nudge open the cluster of four. Looks a done deal now.

John looking much, much sharper than his outing this avo against Chris Wakelin. Won 4-0 against Wakelin, but not one-visit material. Been potting these balls with some ease this evening.

Off we go then for the second half of this contest. An early miscue from John hitting the white out of baulk. Don't usually see that. And Ding responds by dropping in a tough red to right centre. First chance to Ding, but he can't open up the reds off blue and white almost drops down a top bag. Ding pushes boat out with a tough cutback on a red, but it just sticks in jaws. Chance passes to John.

John looking much, much sharper than his outing this avo against Chris Wakelin. Won 4-0 against Wakelin, but not one-visit material. Been potting these balls with some ease this evening.

Off we go then for the second half of this contest. An early miscue from John hitting the white out of baulk. Don't usually see that. And Ding responds by dropping in a tough red to right centre. First chance to Ding, but he can't open up the reds off blue and white almost drops down a top bag. Ding pushes boat out with a tough cutback on a red, but it just sticks in jaws. Chance passes to John.

Another fantastic break of 80 to finish off the fourth frame from John and he will enjoy his cuppa at the mid-session break. He leads 3-1. Halfway to the semi-finals.

Vintage Higgins here tonight. Can't play much better than this. Nor hit the ball much cleaner. 46 minutes for four frames. Both men right at it.

Higgins with a stunning long red into a top right-hand pocket. Straight piece of cueing. But red was never going anywhere else. Technically perfect. And that might well be the frame-winner for a 3-1 lead.

Looks like he is playing on autopilot at the moment. Another rapid run to 32 and this is looking a bit ominous for Ding, it must be said. But he reaches 33 before a tricky black stays up. No damage done. Not on the next red due to the black covering top right-hand pocket and Ding is forced to run safe.

Another fabulous pot from John early doors on a red in the fourth frame. A crunching pot to land on a baulk colour, and he looks to be full of confidence out there. Ding must sit and digest what the four-time world champion might do here.

96 from John in the first, 106 from Ding in the second and 83 from John in the third. Gets the job done every day of the week. What a blistering start to the evening.

No Rocket Ronnie this week, but he'd enjoy the pace of this match. Neither man hanging about in the heat of battle. John right in the zone. In his happy place, you might say.

Higgins reacts by floating another thrilling red down the table. What a pot that is from John and he is off and running again in this third frame of a possible 11. 22 minutes gone for the first two frames, and this one looks like it might disappear quite quickly. John racing away to 38.

A century on the way from the cue of Ding. Misses the black off its spot, but flukes black to left centre much to the delight and roar of the crowd and that is 106 of the very best from the three-time UK champion. We are level at one apiece in race to six. Brilliant stuff from both men.

Ding meeting fire with fire in this contest. Which is to be expected when you have a massive Dragon on your T-shirt. This has been some response. Ding the master of the recovery pot out there. Looks like two one-visit hits to get this match up and running. Bringing the A game to an elite event.

Higgins with a long attempt on a red. Rattles the jaws and red comes down towards the green bag to get Ding's party started for the night. All systems go on the scoring front between these two modern greats of the game. Ding with a cracking mid-range red on the angle. Should boost his confidence levels.

This is some start to the night. A brilliant recovery pot on a red to left middle after cannon goes wrong. Higgins on course for the 13th maximum of his career. Break reaches 88. But he isn't perfect on the final three reds. And the 13th red down the table to yellow pocket stays up. 96 from Higgins. He'll be disappointed not to finish with a 147 because the reds were perfect. Still, he leads 1-0.

Up to 32. No major issues. All reds and blacks so far. John just doing his thing. He must be thinking maximum here. Balls at his mercy.

An early safety blunder by Ding as he mistimes a hit on a red before watching the white gallop back towards the pack. What a chance this is for Higgins. Probably didn't see it coming. Packed crowd in Bolton giving both men plenty of encouragement. Sounds like half of Wishaw are down to see John.

Welcome back to Bolton for tonight's Group 1 final between John Higgins and Ding Junhui. Higgins completed a 4-0 win over Chris Wakelin earlier on Wednesday, while Ding edged out Zhang Anda 4-3 in a thrilling match. Ding 13-12 clear on the career head-to-heads between the two men since they first met in 2006. The first man to six frames will face Group 4 winner Mark Allen in the semi-finals on Saturday evening. Boys on baize at 7pm GMT.

Join us again tonight for Higgins v Ding.

Zhang played well, he says, but he missed chances rushing himself, and that's about it.

Right in the heart of the pocket! A fantastic game of snooker - the crowd didn't get Ronnie, but what a consolation this was - and boy does Ding look relieved. He goes around the arena shaking hands and will face John Higgins in tonight's group final - join us again at 6.30pm GMT for that one.

Hang about! Zhang can't get onto the pink, so he plays a strange safety, and has he left a thin cut to middle? The ball is past the pocket, but the right contact and it'll go down ... here it comes ... and it stays out, but a double-kiss sends it safe! Another poor safety follows, though, and can Ding cut a long one into the green? YES HE CAN! A great pot under pressure, now a cut-back black for the match! And what a match!

HANG ABOUT! Zhang promotes the tricky ball, pots it, and everything is there for him! What a comeback this is! He's so solid under pressure, but will have to send the last red diagonally down to the yellow bag ... and before it's in the audience applaud because they can see what we can all see: it's going right in the heart of the pocket! The pink, though, is a bit away from the right cushion, and it's Ding's last hope.

Ding drops in a blue and, with a red on the rail, he'll be confident this is his. Maybe too confident! Because have a look at this! He jawses a red with the rest - not a simple one, but one you can't believe he's missed, and this match, this game, continues to amaze us! That red might save him, but he can have no complaints if he loses this - he'll only have himself to blame.

Zhang plays away and down the table, but somehow he clobbers the middle jaws - the white stays out, just, but leaves another opportunity, and the way the reds are you expect Ding to clear - but if he can't, it's almost guaranteed there'll be a chance for Zhang to.

As is customary, the players shake hands before the decider, but Zhang has to walk right over to ding, who's still in his seat - perhaps he's shellshocked. But following the break, he guides a fine starter into right corner ... but a poor positional shot leaves hi a cut-back that should've been straight ... and he misses it thin, leaving a chance! And almost immediately Zhang goes into the pack, reds spreading lovelily ... but without leaving a pot!

It's absolutely nuts how much Zhang has improved, and now he's got confidence too. He's stayed so calm despite being so proximate to defeat, and i can't wait to see what happens next!

A pair of fouls from Ding, responding to a snooker, leave us and Zhang closer to a decider. Then, when Ding misses one, Zhang gets in again, and what a reversal this is! Ding had proper chances to take this 4-0 and 4-1; now, he's second-favourite!

Oh yes! Zhang sends a long starter to right corner - what a pot that is! - but misses a cut-back red with 59 left on the table. Ding, though, is on nowt - nor will he want to leave owt, given how the momentum his opponent has.

Zhang sinks a nice starter and this match has changed. He picks around the fringes of the pack, forging ahead in the frame, but has to go into it sooner than planned, ends up stuck to a red, and has to play safe. Ding will be relieved, but he'll have to win this; Zhang won't be handing it him.

Ding will be relieved when Zhang runs out of position; we're back playing safety, most reds still clustered.

Oh! Trying to cut a red, Ding flicks another - it didn't go, what a misjudgement that is! - and now Zhang is at the table with his arm going.

Again, it's Ding in first, and he begins removing reds so the black can pass to both corners.

A sensational clearance from Zhang! Not long ago, Ding needed one more red; now he can feel hot breath on his neck!

Ding pushes the black safe but then Zhang gets in, the table exceedingly uninviting, plays a succession of quality shots, gets the black back on its spot, and suddenly a clearance that looked impossible seems inevitable. This is why he won last week, and it's great to see him re-emerge.

Ding runs out of position so plays safe, the lead 57 with 67 left.

Ding breaks the pack and I'd be staggered were he not to finish this here.

Oh dear, Zhang gets in, then misses to left corner, and just as things were looking up for him, now they're looking down. But when Ding misses one to left-middle that does everything but drop, Zhang ... fails with a double. It's getting tense out there, but Ding punishes the bravery, sending down a starter, and this is another good chance for him to finish the match.

Ding had numerous chances to finish this, he didn't, and Zhang remains in the match.

Oh dear. Zhang leaves the green and ding has an angle to drop it in and get onto the brown ... but he can't. Goodness me he's making hard work of this, and he plays a push-shot then goes in-off to make sure. One big shot here and Zhang should be on the board; one poor shot here and he shoud be going home.

You might notice some earlier posts from this frame have disappeared - apologies. Ding should be home, though, but instead he's chasing that brown.

There is, though, a red on the side that he'll have to see away; he leaves it till last but can't get position. He does, though, see it away soon after and, with no colour available, leaves the white on one side of the green, yellow on the other; Ding misses and leaves it. The brown, though, is on the side rail so the frame isn't Zhang's just yet.

A run of 100 and Ding is one away! Zhang just can't get going here.

Ding methodically does what he does, and maybe coming in as an alternate is liberating. or maybe he's just a damn fine snooker player. Or maybe both.

Oh wow, Ding's now lying on the table having missed an easy red to the yellow; in comms, Fouldsy is astonished. But he's soon back at the table with plenty of balls there for the potting He's so good about the black spot, and Zhang will be fearing the worst.

Colossal grief for Zhang, who get in the leaves a cut-back black in the jaws and two free reds down the table; Ding gets himself away.

A run of 65 and Ding leads by two, in just over 20 minutes. Trouble for Zhang.

Ding digs into the pack, the balls spread nicely, and he's looking good for 2-0.

Or not. Sliding a tight one to right-middle, he hits the jaw, then Zhang does likewise and Ding is soon in again. There are loose balls for him too, and a good run here will givehim control of the match.

Oh, Zhang. He gets in, then misses a tough cut to right corner with the rest, leaving red over pocket; now here comes Ding to punish.

Yup, Ding hits the front, and when he plays like this he's an absolute artist.

Ding runs out of position so plays onto the bottom rail and Zhang returns to the table with two snookers required.

A lovely start from Ding - who, by the way, has been overtaken in the rankings by Zhang, so now needs to play more qualifiers than before. When he's playing well, though, there are few better, especially in the balls, and this is going to be 1-0 to him.

Ding will be delighted to be here, but Zhang is the man in form, beaten finalist in the English Open and as of last week, International Championship champion. And it's Ding in first, slotting a red to right corner, then on 16 he sends a beauty long to the yellow; he's started nicely.

Ding Junhui v Zhang Anda

John played OK but Chris will be disappointed; his safety was fine, but his potting was not, and he leaves the tournament wondering if he actually played in it.

Chris removes yellow and green but can't get the snooker for which he goes. We may be here a while, but he looks a beaten man to me.

A fortuitous in-off stops John from leaving everything, then after he takes one of the two remaining reds, he has a shot at the last, but jawses it ... then swerves a beauty into left corner ... only to miss the blue! Chris returns to the table needing two snookers.

Earlier in the break, Chris missed a cannon and now he does so again, except this time it's not clear where his next red's coming from. Here's where: he rolls in the blue to try a double into left-centre, and it looks nicely set ... but he hits the near jaw. He's not left anything, though, so the match remains alive.

A red, floated to left-centre, doesn't roll off, hitting the far knuckle instead, so Chris returns to the table with balls all over, asked to clear up having potted almost nothing this entire match. Good luck, old mate.

John removes balls like he's been doing it all his life; funny, that. He's still to break what's left of the cluster - he's binned the bottom half of it, but the reds under the pink are still in situ. And as I type, he liberates a couple; this looks very, very over.

John drills a starter into left corner, lays a snooker, and that gets him back in, this time about the black spot with both corner-holes available. Chris will be feart this is it.

Yup, John easily closes out and I feel for Chris because he'll be buzzing to have qualified for this, but the way this is going, money aside, he may as well not've bothered.

John leaves himself a nasty little cut off the pink and he cant get it down, but then Chris misses to left corner and now I do think he's struggling to ge back to the table before it's 3-0.

Slow start to frame three - one that Chris really, really needs to win. But when he goes in-off at the end of a safety battle - now won by John - he leaves another plant. The Wiz duly smashes it down right corner, a blue confirms that he's in, and though the balls are scattered, some in tricky positions, but I'd expect him to build a decent lead here, even if he can't finish the frame.

Yup, John does the necessary, and Chris just hasn't got going yet; if he doesn't soon, he'll be getting going hame.

Chris tries tickling one along black cush and jawses it, so John steers the white the length of the table to drop in a starter of his own; good pot, with serious consequences if missed. Long way back for Chris in this frame now.

John finds a three-ball plant, clipping one onto two, but can only play safe off green and onto brown thereafter. It gets him nowhere, Chris playing another nice starter from centre to corner ... only to land on nowt, so it's in behind the yellow, close to the bottom rail.

Again, John misses a cannon on red off black, and this time the frame isn't a ball away from his. But his response is the sane, a calm safety shot, and the frame remains in the balance.

Fine starter from Chris, chipped from centre to left corner - that's a lovely pot, followed by a brown nudged along the bottom rail into the yellow bag. But when he runs out of position, a poor safety offers John a go to left corner; he jawses it, then the ball shoots along to the opposite pocket, and jumps out of that too. Chance for Chris ... who misses pink to left-centre. "If he's going to win this match he can't miss those, that's obvious," laments Stephen. And there's no one more adept at punishing such errors than John.

John goes in-off, then does so again and this time Chris sinks a nice starter to left corner, holding the white in the middle of the table. But he overruns and has to play safe shortly afterwards.

Chris tries to get his arm going, sinks a red, then concedes.

A really loose shot from John leaves the world; can Chris empty the table? Er, no. He miscues, jumping the white, goes in-off, and John still needs one more ball, which he glides into right corner.

Off the black, John misses a cannon on the westernmost red in the cluster so, with one more ball still required, he okays safe and sits down, presumably annoyed but with the frame almost his.

In comms, Stephen says that in his opinion. break-building has been John's greatest strength down the years, and he's on 964 career tons, vying with Judd to be the second man after Ronnie to reach 1000. He looks good for another here.

I mentioned below that Chris won the Shoot Out, but he also came runner-up in the NI Open, losing the final to Trump, which is to say he's a good player who's found a groove later than he might've done. But it's John in first, lacing a fine starter to left corner, and he looks confident out there, going up for blue when a more nervous player would've held for black.

Is the defending champion and this format suits him. Judd Trump looks a strong favourite to me now.

John won the Championship League Invitational; Chris won the Shoot Out; Zhang won last week's International Championship; and Ding won the Six-red World Championship but is in here as an alternate because:

John Higgins v Chris Wakelin

Ding Junhui v Zhang Anda

Thise matches will be best of seven then, this evening, the two winners meet in a best of 11.

And welcome to the Champions of Champions 2023 - day three!

Barry Hawkins survives late wobble to beat Robert Milkins and reach semi-finals

Barry Hawkins claimed a 6-2 victory against Robert Milkins to book his place in the Champion of Champions semi-finals.

The Englishman returned to action on Tuesday evening after claiming a landslide 4-0 victory against Luca Brecel earlier in the day.

He was in flying form, sweeping away the world champion before he bested Milkins who had claimed a 4-2 victory against Mark Williams to gain a berth in the quarter-finals.

Hawkins became the second player to reach the semi-finals, with Mark Allen becoming the first after he beat Ali Carter 6-2 on Monday evening.

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