John Higgins shares same fate as Ally Pally wasp as 'useless' Masters snooker final loss to Kyren Wilson delivers stinging truth
Updated 19/01/2026 at 21:48 GMT
John Higgins was left to reflect upon what went wrong after he failed to emulate the vintage form that had carried him to the final of the 52nd Masters at a packed Alexandra Palace in London. Without ever being at his best, Kyren Wilson completed a 10-6 win to lift his first Masters title against an increasingly bemused opponent, who described his display as "useless" after tumbling to defeat.
‘I was useless!’ – Higgins laments performance in loss to ‘totally dominant’ Wilson
Video credit: TNT Sports
John Higgins and the infamous Ally Pally wasp had one key thing in common at the 52nd Masters final at London's Alexandra Palace.
Neither turned up for the sport's second-biggest tournament, with Higgins left to face a stinging truth in the aftermath of a title match that became a routine victory procession for Kyren Wilson, who almost ended up clasping the Paul Hunter Trophy by winning on misses.
That may sound harsh but Higgins, champion in 1999 and 2006, said as much himself, describing his performance as "useless" on Sunday evening as he reflected upon blowing a serious opportunity to become the oldest winner of the event.
Former referee Paul Collier announced that he had captured the oddly absent wasp, one of the nuisances who continue to torment a plethora of darts players including teenage world champion Luke Littler, earlier in the week with the help of a glass tumbler.
But a stingless Higgins ended up encased by the weight of his own grand expectations as anything that could wrong in the final for the Scot probably did in an anti-climatic 10-6 loss.
"The crowd were fantastic tonight, it was one of the best experiences I've had as a snooker player," said Higgins, who had come bouncing out to I Am the Resurrection by The Stone Roses before seeing his hopes lowered into the ground.
"The conditions were absolutely fantastic as well, but I was just useless. Take no credit away from Kyren. He was totally dominant today. 10-6 and it wasn't even a 10-6 match."
At the age of 50 years and eight months, Higgins was the oldest finalist in any of the sport's Triple Crown events - consisting of the World Championship, UK Championship and Masters - overtaking six-time world champion Ray Reardon, who had been 50 years and three months old when he lost 9-7 to Cliff Thorburn in the 1983 Masters final.
But it would be too simplistic to say it was age that cost Higgins, who had produced epic wins over Barry Hawkins (6-2), world champion Zhao Xintong (6-5) and world No. 1 Judd Trump (6-5) to reach the final.
It would also be insulting to his ongoing levels of technical brilliance to suggest he was played out by the time the prize-giving came into view.
If Higgins had performed as poorly in the title match at 19, when he was drubbed 9-3 by Ronnie O'Sullivan after making only two 50-plus breaks in the 1995 final at the Wembley Conference Centre, he would not have blamed age.
Here, he made six breaks more than his age. So it is looking for excuses to suggest old Father Time was the main culprit.
Perhaps it was just a bad day at the office but it was also the second final in recent months in which Higgins had failed to trap after he lost 10-6 to Wu Yize in the International Championship in Nanjing.
"I was nowhere near good enough all day," he said in November after losing to Wu, with this experience verging on a sense of deja vu and personal despair for a man who has won the most matches in the history of the game.
"It is disappointing because, the last two finals I've played in, I've went out like a light in the final," he commented.
"It has been a good week and I've thoroughly enjoyed it, but just really disappointed with the way I performed in the final."
While mental fortitude is needed as much as physical prowess in snooker, the Masters is not the World Championship, more a palate cleanser in comparison to the sport's main binge.
Fellow Class of '92 icon Mark Williams ended up a spent force in the first session of the world final against Zhao in Sheffield in May, losing it 7-1 to fall out of contention.
But the Welshman had the valid defence of being subjected to two tortuous elongated matches with Higgins (13-12) and Trump (17-14) to reach the final.
Williams also thumped Murphy 10-3 in the final of the Xi'an Grand Prix in October to become the oldest winner of a ranking title with a stylish performance that belied his years.
Higgins should have had more than enough in the tank to compete with Wilson, who enjoyed the rare luxury in modern professional snooker of a cue ball coronation.
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Wilson says he is in awe of Higgins after Masters final
Video credit: TNT Sports
Wilson arguably saved his worst for last after never-say-die victories over Si Jiahui (6-2), Neil Robertson (6-5) and Wu (6-5) to reach the final.
Back-to-back centuries were the highlight of a day that saw the Kettering man move 5-3 clear.
In an evening session littered with basic errors, he prospered by making slightly less of them than his opponent, contributing a highest break of only 78 in the 14th frame on his way to the £350,000 winner's cheque.
It was ironic that after running into Mark Allen in 2018 and Shaun Murphy last year playing inspired snooker to level him, 10-7 on both occasions, he produced his worst display in a Masters final to make it third time lucky.
But you only ever have to beat what is in front of you.
After losing 6-4 to Elliot Slessor in the first round of the UK Championship in York last month and almost losing the plot due to the accidental break-up of his Crucible-winning cue, Wilson said he had full "trust" in his new stick to get the job done.
"To pick up a new cue and, after one month, to go and win the second-biggest major is an incredible achievement," said Wilson, who begins his German Masters title defence against Robert Milkins in Berlin next Monday.
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Higgins had taken in the musical version of The Devil Wears Prada during his latest trip to London, but the devil was in the detail on the table.
He had become as slow as rust on Sunday afternoon with a shot time averaging over 30 seconds as his long game, scoring consistency and tactical approach that held up in reaching the final gradually, then suddenly collapsed.
In hindsight, the warning signs were there in the second frame when Higgins, fresh from compiling 58 in the first frame, squandered several basic chances and a 63-10 lead to enable Wilson to level at 1-1.
He did restore parity at 3-3 via the obduracy of his matchplay strength before his opponent snagged seven of the remaining 10 frames despite throwing in plenty of errors of his own with Higgins perishing under pressure.
The slightly farcical conclusion to the contest even allowed time for Wilson to respond to a fan in the crowd as he bellowed out "I am trying" in the 16th frame with the feeling that the final was already over.
The trying times were certainly etched on the face of his opponent.
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Higgins prevails in the ‘most dramatic frame’ of Masters 2026
Video credit: TNT Sports
Perhaps this will come to be recalled as a staging post in a remarkable career that continues to see Higgins ranked as high as world No. 5.
After all, the Wishaw man had ended his four-year wait for a major trophy with victories at the World Open and Tour Championship last season.
But he will also ask himself if he can regain the winning habit when push comes to shove.
There is not much point in reaching such revered occasions if you fail to turn up.
Of course, £140,000 is a nice consolation prize, but nobody, not even one of the greatest players in history, wants to be left nursing a sense of regret in the cold light of Monday.
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