John Higgins of Scotland has emerged victorious over Joe O'Connor of England with a 10-6 win in the World Snooker Tour (WST) World Open final held in Shangrao, east China's Jiangxi Province. This marks Higgins' first ranking title win in four years.
At 49 years old, Higgins became the oldest ranking event finalist since 1986. His victory breaks a five-final losing streak in ranking events, adding the 32nd ranking title to his illustrious career. Joe O'Connor, 20 years younger than Higgins, made an impressive run to the final by defeating world No. 1 Judd Trump and new Triple Crown winner Shaun Murphy.
The final match saw a dramatic start with Higgins securing the first frame 66-63 after a lengthy battle. Building on the momentum, he claimed five of the next seven frames in the first session, leading 6-2. In the second session, O'Connor made a strong comeback with a break of 71, his highest in the contest, taking the score to 9-6 after 15 frames.
However, Higgins concluded the match with a break of 100, clinching the championship. This victory not only ended his previous losing streak but also underscored his resilience and enduring skill in the sport.
\"I'm just delighted. I am drained, there has been a lot of nervous energy in the last couple of days. I am dead proud to win another big event at this age,\" Higgins said post-match. He added, \"I didn't know if I was going to win another event because I have taken so many devastating losses over the last three or four years. To come back and win this is a proud moment.\"
\"Joe didn't play his best today, having been unbelievable all week,\" Higgins continued. \"He didn't have the same game he had against Shaun, Judd and Ali. The first frame was massive because he had a chance to win it on the last black and if he had gone 1-0 up he would have taken confidence. I kept him under pressure, my safety was pretty good all day. He's a great all-round player but just didn't turn up today, he'll come again I'm sure.\"
