Davis gained his revenge in 1974, when he beat Higgins 15–14 in the quarter-finals, having earlier beaten Bill Werbeniuk 15–5. This return match with Higgins also contained a notable incident when the referee, Jim Thorpe, called a in frame 25, a decision to which Higgins vehemently objected, swearing at the referee. Higgins blamed his subsequent defeat on the incident, but never blamed Davis for any part of it, clearly stating his admiration for Davis for playing so well following his second heart attack. Davis, for his part, also praised Higgins for his "sportmanship". However, Davis lost 15–3 to eventual champion Reardon in the semi-finals.