Snooker results: John Higgins beats Zhao Xintong 6-5 in Masters classic at Alexandra Palace

12 months ago, Higgins was on the receiving end of a cruel deciding-frame reverse against Neil Robertson in this event, but this time it was the veteran Scot who was smiling at the conclusion of a pulsating, dramatic encounter that will surely be added to the list of famous Masters matches.

A slow burner to begin, much like a heavyweight boxing bout between two adversaries probing for weakness, until the game burst into life as Higgins produced a trademark great escape to leave the world champion stunned and left waiting to complete his own Triple Crown set.

Higgins, of course, ticked that box off his CV a long time ago, but he appeared to have cracked first here, the early exchange of frames to 3-3 broken when the 1999 and 2006 champion missed a black off the spot when on course to level at 4-4.

It was an achingly familiar sight, Higgins grimacing at a golden opportunity apparently gone, another to add to the list of narrow, bruising defeats in the twilight of his career.

But this has been no normal career, Higgins no normal snooker player, and he kept his hopes alive by dominating the ninth frame.

And then the tide turned as Higgins enjoyed a huge fluke in frame 10, one which paved the way for a crucial break of 58 to take the match to a deciding frame.

Riding on the wave of momentum, Higgins would've finally fancied his chances, only to watch on as Zhao built up a 53-point lead which put him within touching distance of victory.

There was time for one final twist, however, and when Zhao was unable to finish the job, Higgins did what he has done so many times before, first escaping from a snooker and then dragging himself back into the fight.

There would be no repeat of 12 months ago. Staring down the colours to win, this time Higgins held his nerve, brown to blue played to perfection before taking care of pink and black to seal a famous win that must rank as high as any he has enjoyed in recent years.

"It's an incredible feeling," Higgins told World Snooker Tour.

"I was really lucky from 5-3 to 5-5 because I missed a few balls and got away with it. That's the reason I am still standing here.

"At 5-4 I tried a plant and butchered it, and fluked the red. It was fate, maybe.

"I stayed down a little bit extra on the final black to make sure I could not miss it.

"At my age, I appreciate wins like this a lot more.

"Even when I missed the black and went 5-3 behind, normally I would be devastated, but this time I was looking around and thinking this is an incredible arena, and I just told myself not to give up."

Things were much more straightforward for Judd Trump who beat Mark Allen 6-2.

The match started at a pedestrian pace, Allen winning a protracted opening frame, with the next two shared and following a similar pattern.

When Allen levelled at 2-2, a late finish appeared in the offing, only for Trump to click into gear and reel off four frames on the spin with runs of 50, 70 and 68.

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