IT ALL ADDS UPTHATJOHN IS BEST EVER
SUPER SCOT John Higgins has been named snooker’s greatest ever player – by a maths brain box.
Four-time world champ Higgo pipped arch-rival Ronnie O’Sullivan for top spot in the study which took into account every match since 1968, almost 48,000 results.
Triple Crucible King Mark Williams finished third, with Scottish legend and record seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry in fourth.
Humble Higgins said: “I’m truly flattered but I have to admit I have not won enough of the big titles consistently to be regarded as the greatest of all time.
“If I had to give the accolade to anyone it would have to be my rival for so many years… Ronnie!”
Six-times world champ O’Sullivan holds almost every record on the greenbaize game, other than toppling Hendry’s haul of seven world titles.
The Rocket has 20 Triple Crown – World and UK championship and Masters titles – wins, 37 ranking crowns, 15 maximum 147 breaks and is the only player to make over 1000 century breaks.
Hendry, who recently came out of retirement, is O’Sullivan’s closest challenger in terms of wins on 36 ranking titles.
Steve Davis dominated the sport in the 1980s with six Crucible crowns but he could only finish eighth.
Joseph D O’Brien’s study, published in the Journal of Complex Networks, used an algorithm which took head-to-head records and how tough the era was into account.
Meanwhile, O’Sullivan wants the Crucible crowd to have had Covid vaccines before entering the venue next month, when the Rocket defends his World Championship crown.
The 17-day marathon in Sheffield is one of 12 Government designated pilot events to help ease a path back to normal life.
A limited number of fans – expected to be around 300 per session in the 980-capacity theatre – will be permitted,
But world No.2 O’Sullivan, 45, was deeply affected by seeing his mother Maria fall ill with the virus and wants to ensure player safety.
He said: “Maybe have a vaccine passport. My mum had it really bad”
● Runaway world No 1 Judd Trump blew away the field to reach the second round of Pro Series groups.
The 2019 world champion won his first six matches, before a 2-0 defeat to Hossein Vafaei, as he topped the final qualifying group in style.