John Higgins’ memory bank is a little hazy when it comes to his maiden UK Championship triumph.
In fairness, it was 26 years ago and was followed by a night of heavy partying. “None at all,” he admits when asked about his recollections of that victory in Bournemouth in 1998, which came a few months after he won his first of four world titles at the Crucible.
“Matthew Stevens in the final,” says Higgins questioningly, not looking entirely sure. Stevens was indeed the runner-up on that occasion. “All I can remember is having a great party after it. Me, Matthew and our dads, we had a right good drink and a right good party.
“Back in the day, that’s what you used to do at tournaments. Win or lose, you enjoyed it. It’s not the same anymore.”
His memories of his two subsequent UK Championship wins are far more vivid, both coming against old rival Mark Williams in 2000 and 2010, the latter being a 10-9 cliffhanger.
“The one that would stand out would be 2010,” he recalls Higgins, who begins his 2024 UK campaign against He Guoqiang on Tuesday. “I was 9-5 behind and came back and won 10-9. That was a great victory for me.”
As a member of snooker’s famed ‘Class of 92’ with Ronnie O’Sullivan and Williams, Higgins has seen the game change immensely. As well as enjoying incredible success, he has seen snooker take off in China while the schedule is more crammed than ever, making his longevity all the more remarkable.
The sport’s increased professionalism means boozy post-tournament parties are far less common. Not that Higgins would be interested anyway, having gone tee-total in 2018.
“It’s just different now,” he reflects. “Obviously back then [in the 90s], you had tobacco sponsorship and stuff like that. It’s now a bit sterile behind the scenes.
“But it’s obviously more professional. People are winning the big events and then having their own party elsewhere. Back in the day, it was different. Nowadays, you’re older, you’ve got kids and I don’t drink now. It’s a different part of your life.”
Higgins has no complaints though and remains grateful for the life snooker has given him. He says: “I’ve had a great career, this game has given us so much. I’ve only got good things to say about the game. I’ve always said I’m a lucky boy playing this game for a living.”
He is also upbeat about snooker’s direction of travel and believes there has never been a better time to be a young player. Alluding to the recent addition of Saudi Arabia to the schedule, he adds: “Hopefully that can kick-start more tournaments. You hear through the grapevine there might be more big events.
“If you’re a young player coming into the game, you can earn a lot of money. The next thing to break would be into the Americas, that would be World Snooker’s next step, but you can’t run before you can walk.”
That is for the future though. Higgins is still a man of the present and remains one of the tour’s top stars.
He endured a tough start to the season, compounded by seeing his cue wrecked in transit during the return journey following his early exit from the Saudi Arabia Masters. But armed with a new cue, Higgins has been rejuvenated, quickly regaining his place in the top 16 after briefly dropping out for the first time in almost 30 years. As a result, he didn’t need to qualify for the UK Championship.
Despite the tour’s exhaustive schedule, he intends to keep playing as much as possible as he looks to protect his place amongst the elite.
“I’ve not thought about picking and choosing this season,” he insists. “In all honesty, I probably can’t afford to with where I am in the rankings.
“If I want to play in the big events like the Masters and the World Championship without qualifying, I’ll have to be competing in pretty much everything really.
“That’s my aim for this season, to still be in the 16 and qualify for the World Championship. That will basically mean I’ve done that my whole career which is a good achievement.”
While that fire still burns, you’d be foolish to rule out some more Triple Crown magic from the Wizard of Wishaw.
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