Age-defying Higgins books a place in Crucible final
JOHN HIGGINS is on cloud nine after giving himself a great chance to win a fifth Betfred World Championship 20 years after his first.
The Wizard of Wishaw won his first Crucible crown back in 1998, when he beat defending champion Ken Doherty 18-12.
And the Scot became the first man to reach back-to-back finals on the game’s grandest stage in his forties after beating English young gun Kyren Wilson 17-13 in a gripping semi-final yesterday at the home of snooker.
Higgins will now clash with Mark Williams in a battle of the veterans, after he beat Barry Hawkins 17-15 last night.
‘I’m just proud to reach another final, but I’ll need to start a lot better to win the final,’ admitted an emotional Higgins. ‘I’m so proud that 20 years later after winning my first one I’m sitting here ready to compete in another one.
‘To come back here and reach a second final in a row is a great moment.
‘I can’t wait for the final. I had a great time in the final, other than the result, last year and I’ll have a great two days no matter what happens.’
Higgins is gunning to become the oldest player to land the most prized possession in the game since Ray Reardon’s agedefying 1978 triumph at the age of 45.
Last season, Higgins suffered a painstaking defeat as he collapsed from a commanding 10-4 lead to lose 18-15 to three-time champion Mark Selby. But he is looking to go one step better this time around.
The 30-time rankingevent winner thought his chances of levelling Ronnie O’Sullivan’s tally of five world crowns could have been over after last year.
But victory would secure Higgins the record £425,000 winner’s cheque and move him one behind boyhood idol Steve Davis’ six world crowns and two behind Stephen Hendry’s record seven.
Higgins resumed yesterday afternoon needing just four frames to reach the showcase final, 13-11 ahead.
And the Scot held his advantage as Wilson missed some audacious pots when trying to force the match into his favour.
Wilson opened up the concluding session with a timely 96 to move within one of Higgins once again.
But a classy clearance of 136 put Higgins 15-12 up before ‘The Warrior’ Wilson battled back with 53 of his own.
And the Lanarkshire potter moved within one frame of the final with a 100 run, before closing out the match with a 98.
‘Playing Kyren reminded me of playing Selby in the 2007 final,’ said Higgins, recalling his second world title win.
‘You just got a feeling and an aura off Kyren that he was going to win and pot everything.
‘It’s quite tough to play against because no matter where you leave him you think he’s going to pot it.
‘We’ve seen what Selby has done in the last 10 years and Kyren can do that too in the future.
‘The adrenaline kicked in near the end when I could see the finish line and I played my best stuff.’
Masters runner-up Wilson believes he lost the match in the first session as Higgins went into an early 5-3 lead.
The deflated world No9 reflected: ‘It’s such a hard tournament to do well in.
‘The first session was probably my undoing in the match. I couldn’t catch John and it was just experience.
‘He obviously seized on the opportunity of my inexperience early on. I felt like it was Tom and Jerry and I was always trying to catch the mouse.’
Williams, who at 43 is a year older than Higgins, will be attempting to win his third world title after edging out Hawkins in a late-night thriller.