John Higgins has revealed the unusual secret behind his epic comeback win in the third round of the World Open. The Scot was 4-2 down to Yuelong Zhou and heading for an exit before winning three frames in a row to book his place in the quarter-finals. 

Pressure breaks of 60, 74 and 72 left the home favourite stunned, with Higgins allowing himself a passionate fist bump after sealing victory. The legendary Scot later opened up on what inspired his dramatic win, and he didn’t attribute it to experience, composure, or scintillating potting. 

Instead, the four-time world champion was helped by a bout of diarrhoea.

In his post-match interview, Higgins admitted his diet had been less than exemplary while out in China, leading to problems against Zhou. However, his tummy issues inadvertently stopped him from fretting about the pressures of his match.

“I’ve got to be honest. I haven’t been feeling great all day, and my stomach has been very bad,” he said. “I’ve been enjoying the hot pots too many times. 

“I think from 4-2 behind, it probably helped me because I was running (to the toilet). I was really bad. So it probably relaxed my mind. Because I wasn’t even thinking about the match, I was thinking about not running to the toilet, and that’s the god’s honest truth.”

Higgins was able to smile about the situation though, joking that while he stopped worrying about snooker, he was far from at peace with himself. “I wasn’t thinking about the pressures of the game,” he added. “Just the pressure somewhere else.”

He will now face Junxu Pang on Thursday for a place in the final four. But he admitted he would be taking no chances with his health beforehand, saying, “No hot pot, no nothing. Just water. Bread and water.”

Higgins now appears a serious title contender. In a tournament of upsets in Yuhan, Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby and Mark Allen are already out, with Ronnie O’Sullivan having withdrawn beforehand as his exile from snooker continues. 

However, while the illness issue for ‘The Wizard of Wishaw’ appeared genuine, it comes at a time when the issue of toilet breaks is provoking debate in the sport. Shaun Murphy was the latest player to hit out after the German Masters last month, angrily calling on the authorities to take action.

“It is ridiculous how many times players are leaving the arena to go to the loo,” he said. "And here’s where it gets spicy because most of these exits from the arena have got nothing to do with players needing to go for a wee; it’s good old-fashioned gamesmanship.”