Veteran Higgins off to flyer in bid for history

BARELY a day after a 41-year-old boxer tried and failed to return to the summit of his sport at Wembley, John Higgins was making a fine fist of his own bid here in Sheffield.

The four-time world champion — who turns 42 in three weeks’ time — is trying to become the oldest winner at the Crucible Theatre since 45-year-old Ray Reardon lifted the trophy in 1978.

This is Higgins’s first appearance in the showpiece since 2011 and he rolled back the years to lead Mark Selby 10-7 overnight with a further 18 frames possible today.

The Scot piled the pressure on his opponent ahead of the final, labelling the world No 1 ‘ a big favourite’ to emulate Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan by defending his crown.

Selby showed no signs of succumbing to those mind games early on as he won two of the first three frames. But suddenly he crumbled.

Higgins landed the first heavy blow in frame four with a sublime 141 total clearance which equalled the highest break in a World Championship final. It was the first of five straight frames for Higgins to end the afternoon’s play.

Higgins started to showboat in the next session. A spectacular four-ball plant made it four frames out of six to start the night as Higgins extended his lead to six and guaranteed an overnight advantage.

Selby glanced up at his corner with a look of resignation. Chuck the towel in? No chance.

Breaks of 81 and 121 saw the man from Leicester close the gap to four before he clinched a tense final frame and celebrated with a fist-pump. There’s plenty of fight left in the champion.