John Higgins grimaces during dramatic World Championship moment as John Virgo speechless

BBC commentator John Virgo was left stunned after potted both the black and the white balls to cost himself a frame in his clash with Xiao Guodong. The pair finished a gripping afternoon session locked at 8-8, but it could have been better for the four-time world champion were it not for one dramatic moment.

Leading 7-6, Higgins seemed set to be pegged back until he managed to get two snookers to reduce the deficit to 67-39 with blue, pink, and black left on the table. The Scot then held his nerve to pot all three and force a repotted black. After an Xiao error, it was the 49-year-old who then had the first real chance to take the frame.

Left with a difficult cut into the top left-hand pocket, Higgins seemingly executed it perfectly as the black ball dropped. However, as the crowd roared, the white ball then came off two cushions and headed straight into the lower pocket to hand Xiao the frame.

"In it goes but where's the cue ball going?" shouted Virgo excitedly before the white went in. "Oh would you believe it. Well, amazing..."

Higgins grimaced as he walked quickly away from the table. The error seemed costly when Xiao then took the next frame to edge 8-7 ahead in a high-quality clash.

However, the 'Wizard of Wishaw' then regained his composure to produce a sublime clearance of 127 in the last frame of the day to ensure the pair will resume level tomorrow.

The incident added to a day of high drama at the Crucible. In the morning, fans were treated to Mark Allen, of this year's tournament in his match with Chris Wakelin.

The Northern Irishman had not scored a point in the previous three frames before his remarkable effort. He looked odds on to repeat the feat this evening, but on 81, an attempt at the black hit the jaws and bounced out.