Nanchang (China), March 17 -- Defending champion John Higgins suffered a shock first-round exit at the World Snooker Open in Yushan county, south China's Jiangxi province, on Tuesday.
The four-time world champion was edged 5-4 by Britain's 19-year-old Stan Moody, who reached the quarterfinals of this season's Wuhan Open after back-to-back wins over established names including Ding Junhui and Zhou Yuelong.
Moody, ranked 47th in the world, seized control early with his accurate long-potting and solid cueing, racing to a 4-1 lead after the first five frames to move within one frame of victory, according to Xinhua.
Higgins adjusted his rhythm in the sixth frame and made the most of his chances at the table, reeling off the next three frames ...