Dominant Trump closes on first world title
JOHN HIGGINS warmed up for the World Championship final by taking his family to see the new
Avengers film. A day later, he had to sit and watch a thrilling performance from Judd Trump. Higgins won the last of his four world titles when the pair met at this stage in 2011, with the Scot overturning a 10-7 overnight deficit to win 18-15. Eight years on, he requires even greater powers of recovery if he is to avoid defeat in a Crucible final for the third straight year. The first session was shared but Trump won the last eight frames to take a 12-5 lead and a giant step towards his maiden world crown. It was a pulsating day. The record number of centuries in a world final is eight, but the pair struck seven in the first 13 frames of the showpiece which concludes today. Higgins may be appearing in his eighth world final — only Stephen Hendry on nine has been in more — but his presence this time is unexpected. Having threatened to quit the sport midway through this barren campaign, the Scot’s renaissance over the past fortnight has been remarkable. But the 43-year-old was taken the distance by David Gilbert in his semi-final, so it was no surprise that Trump, 14 years younger and a winner of three titles this season, started and finished well. He opened a two-frame lead but Higgins got off the mark with a 139 total clearance, the joint-third highest break in a Crucible final. Trump restored breathing space with a century before the interval, a pause which was timely for Higgins who returned with breaks of 69, 40 and 101 to take the lead, before Trump ended the first session level after a 103. The heavy scoring continued at the start of the evening with Higgins’s 125. And while Trump complained the auditorium was too cold, the man from Bristol was red hot, winning the last eight frames of the day. His blitz included two more centuries, the first of which he finished by cheekily potting the black with his cue behind his back. There is work still to do, but Trump is already in party mood.