Snooker: Higgins wins fourth world title
LONDON: John Higgins defeated Judd Trump by 18-15 and his off-the-field miseries once and for all to win World Snooker Championship 2011, his fourth world championship title, here Monday night.
John Higgins. Courtesy: GETTY IMAGES
Still recovering from a sad demise of his father, John Sr., in February, John Higgins came from behind remarkably from 9-12 deficit to eventually clinch the win in an astounding fashion.
Higgins admitted in a post-match interview that his father kept inspiring him during the course of the championship with his constant spiritual backstage presence. As soon as Higgins admitted he burst into tears before hugging his wife and three children who were there to buck up the champion.
With this title John Higgins has also got his name written among the snooker greats like Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry who have won six and seven world titles respectively since 1977.
John Higgins with his family. Courtesy: GETTY IMAGES
Higgins told media, “It’s an unbelievable moment to win it again. It’s been amazing, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for [the support of his family]. It’s just an unbelievable 12 months but it’s been great.”
Judd Trump, who was at one stage leading by 12-9, paid tribute to his opponent while talking to reporters. He said, “John played the better snooker over the two days. The whole experience has been incredible, all 17 days of it. Every game has just built and built with the fanbase and support from everyone.”
Higgins showed a bigger heart when he insisted Judd was the better player of the two finalists. He said, “Judd was the better player. He was playing a brand of snooker I’ve never seen in my life. The amount of long pots he made was incredible. We’ve got a new sensation in the game.”
John Higgins poses with trophy. Courtesy: GETTY IMAGES
Talking about the factors that led him to the victory, Higgins said that his tough game was the main reason behind his triumph. “I played great to get back into it and made Judd think about it [his three- frame lead]“.
The victory was also a big one for Higgins due to the reason that he was suspended for six months and fined 75,000 British Pounds for not reporting an illegal betting approach and only came back on the scene on 1 November. In just about six months, John Higgins has won five titles including UK Championship.
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