Veteran trio will keep on winning, vows Higgins
Forget about the new crop of stars on the world snooker circuit, according to John Higgins it will be the veteran campaigners who will dominate at the World Championships in April.
Higgins ensured he will arrive at the Crucible brimming with confidence after a record fifth victory in the Welsh Open – and now the Scottish cueman is a man on a mission; determined to add a world title to his 2018 haul.
And he may just find his biggest rivals are a pair of fellow 42-year-olds – Ronnie O’sullivan and Mark Williams.
Between the three of them they’ve won all but one of snooker’s Home Nations Series events, with Scot Higgins beating Barry Hawkins 9-7 to win in Cardiff.
This was his 30th ranking tournament victory, a second of the season, closing in fast on O’sullivan’s haul of 32. It also meant the Wizard of Wishaw eclipsed O’sullivan’s record as the Cardiff event’s most decorated competitor.
“Mark, Ronnie and I have probably driven ourselves on over the years,” admitted Higgins, after collecting the £70,000 winner’s cheque.
“When you are in your mid20s you never want the old guys to win, but it changes as you get older and you get your families.
“When you see guys still playing well, you’re actually happy because you know you’ve been a competitor with them and shared those great rivalries. It makes you feel good.
“Me, Mark and Ronnie have had great careers and I’m sure we’ll keep doing it over the foreseeable future too.”
But Higgins, playing in his 47th ranking final, admitted there have been moments in recent months when he wondered whether he would win again.
Prior to this victory, his most recent win was in India last August. Before that he’d suffered two final losses, at last year’s World Championships and the previous year’s Scottish Open.
“I have been a little bit down on myself in private moments, thinking ‘that was another good chance to win’ when I go out of tournaments,” he added.
Hawkins was “gutted” to lose to Higgins in the final but says he’s starting to believe in himself again after his run at the Manbetx Welsh Open. The Ditton cueman enjoyed several leads but settled for a £30,000 runners-up cheque as Higgins claimed a record fifth Ray Reardon Trophy.
But Hawkins, who took time off the tour at the start of the season on compassionate grounds, was philosophical about the defeat.
“I’m gutted. I tried my hardest and would have been over the moon to lift that title,” said the threetime ranking event winner. “I think it was a good standard. I played well but felt he was the stronger player and more clinical in the balls.
“I can’t beat myself up, I played pretty well there. John is one of the all-time greats and I put him under pressure.
“When you’re playing an all-time great, you’ve got to keep punishing and punishing them and keeping them under pressure.
“I let John off the hook a few times. He’s such a class player and a tough opponent. If John wants it, he can keep on winning.
“It was a good final and I playedmypartinit,butit’snot nice coming second again.” l The Welsh Open was live on Eurosport, Eurosport Player and Quest with Andy Goldstein and analysis from Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.