John Higgins has landed another piece of silverware and with it moves to second place in the all-time list of ranking event winners.
The Wizard of Wishaw beat fellow Scot Anthony McGill 5-1 to capture the Indian Open title and chalk up a remarkable 29th ranking title.
This moves him one clear of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Steve Davis, who he was previously tied with, and now seven behind the record-holder Stephen Hendry.
Not only is this achievement yet another standout line on his incredible snooker CV which strengthens his status as snooker legend s, but it is also an excellent demonstration of his longevity at the very highest level of the sport.
This win comes 8,364 days after his first and means he surpasses O’Sullivan’s previous record of 8,120 days between first and last titles.
At the age of 42, Higgins has absolutely nothing to prove when it comes to winning titles on the snooker table, but it appears his days of competing for silverware is far from over.
It was only back in May that he made it through to the biggest match on the snooker calendar, narrowly missing out on a fifth world title to Mark Selby at The Crucible.
This was a defining moment for Higgins and an indication that he’s far from done at the top level yet.
The new season is still young and he’s already picked up another trophy – a habit which just won’t go away.
The great thing for Higgins is that long gone are the days where he is fighting to carve out a lasting legacy – this is already comfortably assured. He is widely regarded as the best all-round player the sport has ever produced. This will never go away and it means he can now can play the game safe in the knowledge that he’s achieved everything and more that he set out to do at the start of his career.
Higgins has accumulated a vast amount of experience throughout his long, successful career but continues to prove he still has what it takes to compete with the very best.
John Higgins: take a bow.
