John Higgins Higgins aiming to 'replicate' Stephen Maguire achievement thanks to Ronnie O'Sullivan withdrawal at Players Championship
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Published 22/02/2026 at 11:26 GMT
John Higgins withstood a powerful fightback from world No. 1 Judd Trump to reach his 60th ranking final, at the Players Championship. The Scot surged 4-1 ahead with fluent breaks of 71, 57 and 76, only for Trump to win four of the next five frames and force a decider. But Higgins held firm under pressure, taking the final frame to seal victory and set up a showdown with Zhao Xintong on Sunday.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
John Higgins has put his snooker renaissance down to learning to handle the pressure as he goes in search of victory at the Players Championship final in Telford on Sunday.
The evergreen Scot admits he feels "drained" - but he stands on the brink of history when he walks out to face reigning world champion Zhao Xintong.
Victory would make him the oldest winner of a ranking event, a remarkable feat in an era dominated by youth and relentless attacking flair.
To claim the ÂŁ150,000 first prize, however, the 50-year-old must overcome Zhao, whose own rise has come to symbolise snooker's new generation.
Higgins earned his place in the final with a performance that encapsulated the enduring steel of a four-time world champion.
Trailing world No. 1 Judd Trump in a gripping semi-final, he summoned a stirring closing break of 65 to seal a dramatic 6-5 victory - a reminder that class, under pressure, remains timeless.
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Higgins came through a marathon match with Trump
Image credit: Getty Images
Higgins was not supposed to even be playing in the Players Championship. He entered as the 16th seed, despite being 17th on the one-year ranking list at the cut-off point.
He secured the final spot in the tournament following the withdrawal of O'Sullivan, and could now become the oldest winner of a ranking event when he faces Zhao.
"I got a wee doggy life to get into the tournament with Ronnie not coming in," he admitted.
"It's happened before... Stephen Maguire at the Tour Championship. He got in as a replacement for Ding Junhui, and he went on and won it. It would be great to try and replicate Stephen."
As for the semi-final, another gripping instalment was added to one of snooker's defining rivalries as Higgins and Trump served up yet more drama.
They have shared two Crucible finals and, while Trump has largely held sway in recent seasons - leading their head-to-head 21–15 - Higgins has recently rediscovered the knack of prevailing when it matters most, following up last month’s Masters semi-final triumph with another deciding-frame victory.
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John Higgins celebrates his victory over Judd Trump
Image credit: WorldSnooker
The Glaswegian is the second-oldest ranking finalist in the sport's history, a mark surpassed only by Rex Williams in 1986. Age, however, seemed irrelevant as Higgins surged into command.
Breaks of 71, 57 and 76 powered him into a 4-1 lead, but Trump responded in kind, closing to 5-4 after capitalising on a missed opportunity, and then forcing a decider when Higgins squandered a straightforward pink that would have sealed it.
Yet in the final frame, after Trump faltered with a difficult red, Higgins delivered the decisive blow. A composed 65 clearance carried him over the line.
"It was incredible," Higgins admitted. "Incredible the way it transpired at the end of the game.
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"I always seem to have games like that against Judd. I've got to say, Judd obviously was nowhere near his best today, but his application never waned.
"He kept on giving 100% even when he was getting little bits of bad running. The only time he did show a bit of anger was obviously at the end when he missed that red.
"But he just did such an examination, even though he was probably playing at 50% of his game there. It was still just such a tough examination."
When asked how he dealt with the pressure-cooker situation, he added: "It's funny, you can't really explain it. You just get into that zone, and I was thinking clearly, I couldn't hear the crowd. I was just thinking really well."
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