SNOOKER/World Championship:John Higgins found time for regrets as well as celebrations yesterday after winning the world snooker title for the second time.
His 12-hour, 18-13 victory over Mark Selby, a qualifier from Leicester, did not end until five to one in the morning, the latest finish to a final at The Crucible. But Higgins, who won his first title in 1998, cannot forget the ones that got away. "I was blase about it," he said.
"I thought I would have another two or three titles, no problem. It has taken longer than expected."
Higgins feels he could have dominated the game the way that Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry did, though that is doubtful given the greater depth in today's game. Both Davis and Hendry were showcased within specific decades; Davis won the first of his six world crowns in 1981 and the last in 1989; Hendry took the first of his seven in 1990 and the last in 1999.
Since then, however, there have been six separate winners. Higgins joins Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Williams as a double title-holder. As one of the game's toughest match players, no one would begrudge him his place in that company.
He added: "If I had stuck in there and practised the way the other guys did, I could have won this again before now. You work so hard to get somewhere in life, you come into a little bit of money and you just go out and enjoy yourself. I was guilty of that. But now I think I'm playing better than ever. I've knuckled down a lot and worked hard on my game."
Despite its length, Higgins' win over Selby will not go down as one of the great finals. The quality was too uneven for that.
Higgins was only fitfully at his best during the tournament and in the final his rhythm appeared to be broken by Selby's ponderous game. Selby did, however, launch one of the great fightbacks.
No one has come back from 12-4 down in a final, as he was on Monday. But he won all six of the afternoon frames before the first four of the evening were evenly divided. Higgins then showed his best form in the last four frames, especially with his 129 clearance to win the 30th.
Higgins is also the new number one ranked player in the world. Selby moves up from 28th to 11th.
