Higgins rallies to fourth world title
Source: Agencies |
May 4, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SCOTLAND'S John Higgins beat Judd Trump of England 18-15 on Monday to win the world championship for the fourth time.
Higgins held off the exuberant 21-year-old Trump who had lit up the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield with brilliant potting in his bid to become the youngest world champion since Stephen Hendry in 1990.
Trump led 10-7 overnight but Higgins won six frames in the afternoon to edge 13-12 ahead and he remained in control of the match in the evening session to clinch the title.
The 35-year-old Higgins, world champion in 1998, 2007 and 2009, returned to the sport in November after serving a six-month suspension for bringing the game into disrepute.
He was at the center of allegations of match-fixing which were reported during last year's world championship.
Higgins, who beat Welshman Mark Williams in the semifinals, was later cleared of match-fixing but received his ban for not reporting an illegal approach to discuss throwing matches.
"It has been amazing, an unbelievable 12 months," he told BBC television. "It was really tough match-play today. I knew I had to come into the afternoon session and play great and I think I did that to get back into the match and make Judd think a little bit.
"He was the better player. He was playing a brand of snooker I have never seen before in my life. It was unbelievable the amount of long shots he was potting, it was incredible.
"It was great to watch - we have got the new sensation of the game," Higgins said of Trump.
Trump, who beat China's Ding Junhui in the semifinals, was relatively unknown coming into the tournament but won over a legion of fans with his aggressive style of play and spectacular shot-making.
"Seventeen days ago I was no one really, but every game it kept building and the fan base I've created is unbelievable," Trump said. "Obviously it wasn't enough this time, but I'll come back next year."
Higgins held off the exuberant 21-year-old Trump who had lit up the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield with brilliant potting in his bid to become the youngest world champion since Stephen Hendry in 1990.
Trump led 10-7 overnight but Higgins won six frames in the afternoon to edge 13-12 ahead and he remained in control of the match in the evening session to clinch the title.
The 35-year-old Higgins, world champion in 1998, 2007 and 2009, returned to the sport in November after serving a six-month suspension for bringing the game into disrepute.
He was at the center of allegations of match-fixing which were reported during last year's world championship.
Higgins, who beat Welshman Mark Williams in the semifinals, was later cleared of match-fixing but received his ban for not reporting an illegal approach to discuss throwing matches.
"It has been amazing, an unbelievable 12 months," he told BBC television. "It was really tough match-play today. I knew I had to come into the afternoon session and play great and I think I did that to get back into the match and make Judd think a little bit.
"He was the better player. He was playing a brand of snooker I have never seen before in my life. It was unbelievable the amount of long shots he was potting, it was incredible.
"It was great to watch - we have got the new sensation of the game," Higgins said of Trump.
Trump, who beat China's Ding Junhui in the semifinals, was relatively unknown coming into the tournament but won over a legion of fans with his aggressive style of play and spectacular shot-making.
"Seventeen days ago I was no one really, but every game it kept building and the fan base I've created is unbelievable," Trump said. "Obviously it wasn't enough this time, but I'll come back next year."
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