Snooker: Higgins claims innocence in fixing row

Snooker champion John Higgins has claimed innocence against allegations that he agreed to fix a match.

Describing the past few days as "emotionally draining for me and my family," Higgins said: "In the last week I have experienced a whole range of emotions: despair, frustration, anger, rage and, most of all, a sense of betrayal."

Undercover reporters, who have accused him of agreeing to fix a match, filmed Higgins.

The Scotsman quoted him, as saying that he believed the meeting with the journalists was to arrange a series of tournaments in the Ukraine.

On Sunday, the News of the World also alleged that he had tried to bet against himself in last year's World Championship final.

Higgins said: "Over the last three years I spent a lot of my time and effort to expand snooker into new territories. I wanted to take the magic of snooker to towns, cities and countries where people had only ever seen snooker on television. I wanted to act as an ambassador to spread that magic of snooker throughout the world. Despite the events of last week, it is something I believe in from the bottom of my heart."

The three-times world champion is subject to disciplinary proceedings by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association over the allegations.