The Wizard of Wishaw, John Higgins, is known around the snooker world as being one of the top talents in the game.
At the age of 45, Higgins is still right at the pinnacle of the snooker world and, as snooker clubs across the country close their doors, it seems like a good time to reflect on one of the players who may have inspired amateurs to pick up a cue in the first place.
Higgins has lifted four world titles in his career, in 1998, 2007, 2009, 2011, making him the fifth most successful player overall in the modern era, behind legends Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Ray Reardon and Ronnie O’Sullivan. He has not been outside the top six in the world rankings since 1997 and saw three successive final defeats in 2017, 2018 and 2019, proving that despite not winning the title, he is still right at the top of his game.
His stellar record really began in 1998, when he knocked Stephen Hendry off the world number one spot for the first time in eight years. In winning that world title, he made a then-record 14 centuries and defeated Jason Ferguson, Anthony Hamilton, John Parrott and Ronnie O’Sullivan before his 18-12 final victory against Ken Doherty.
His next world title came in 2007, where he once again defeated O’Sullivan, amongst others, before facing Mark Selby. Remarkably, he held a 12-4 advantage over Selby in the final, a lead that was clawed back to 14-13 before he won the final five frames in a real nail biter. Two years later, after being awarded an MBE, he faced Selby in the earlier stages of his title run, winning 13-12. The 2009 final was more of a formality, brushing aside Shaun Murphy 18-9 to become only the ninth player to win three world titles.
Higgins found his world rocked in 2010 when he was implicated in a match-fixing scandal in a sting conducted by the now-defunct and shamed tabloid News of the World. An undercover reporter met with Higgins and his manager Pat Mooney and lured them into a fake match-fixing plot, which Higgins claimed to have played along as he feared for his safety. He was fined not for intending to fix games, but for ‘giving the impression’ he would and banned for six months.
He returned to snooker in November 2010, and by May 2011 he was world champion again. He defeated Sullivan once again on his way to the final, but this time, it was Judd Trump waiting at the table in the showpiece event, whom he defeated 18-15. Steve Davis remarked that Higgins was the best snooker player he had ever seen, whilst an audience member was ejected for heckling him over the match-fixing scandal.
Curiously, both Selby and Trump got their revenge in 2018 and 2019 respectively, which caused Higgins to ponder retiring. However, it was an unlikely source of inspiration which pushed him back to the baize, tennis player Andy Murray. Higgins cited Sir Andy as an inspiration to him for the way he battled back from injuries after reaching the pinnacle of his sport. Gala Bingo calls Murray’s 2016 win one of the best sporting moments of 2016, but a series of injuries left him contemplating retirement. He opted to pick up a racquet again and Higgins admitted to the BBC that gave him perspective.
“I think that just gives you a new perspective on your own sport, thinking that snooker players will never have to give up the game through injury,” he said.
Higgins is still going strong today, making his 800th career century on the opening day of 2020 Champion of Champions in November. He went out to Ding Junhui in the best of seven frame competition, and after losing in round two of the 2019/20 World Championship against Kurt Maflin, he has a point to prove heading into the New Year. That said, the Wizard of Wishaw has never failed to delight, surprise or compete and there is every chance he will be back strong, cementing his place amongst snooker’s all-time legends.
You could take advantage of some free bets to say who you think will be the next world snooker champion. Could it be John Higgins?
