World Open final: John Higgins beats Joe O’Connor to seal first ranking title in four years
Updated 01/03/2025 at 15:17 GMT
React to this story
John Higgins got the better of Joe O’Connor to win the 2025 World Open and end his four-year wait for the 32nd ranking-event title of his distinguished career. The Scot dominated the early proceedings in Yushan, vaulting into a 6-2 lead after the first session. O’Connor twice cut the advantage to three frames when play resumed for the evening, but Higgins eventually wrapped up a 10-6 win.
Snooker - World Open - Quarter final - Interview - John Higgins after the match
Video credit: TNT Sports
John Higgins beat Joe O’Connor 10-6 in the final of the World Open in Yushan to end his long wait for a 32nd ranking-event title.
Four years and one day ago, the Scot dispatched Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-3 to lift the 2021 Players Championship trophy, and he has now added another tournament victory to his impressive roll of honour.
The win will also move Higgins back into the world’s top eight, having briefly fallen outside the top 16 earlier this season for the first time in 29 years.
For O’Connor, his wait for a maiden ranking crown goes on, but after knocking out Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy and Ali Carter en route to the final, there are plenty of positives to take for the 29-year-old from Leicester.
It has been an eventful week in Yushan for Higgins. He opened with victories over Mark Davis and Robbie Williams before overcoming stomach trouble and battling back from 4-2 down to beat Zhou Yuelong 5-4 in the last 16.
The 49-year-old also had to dig deep and reel off three frames in a row to come through his semi-final against Zak Surety in a decider, but he dominated from the outset in the title showdown.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/03/01/4103377-83205188-2560-1440.jpg)
Higgins dazzles crowd with excellent long pot on red in final
Video credit: TNT Sports
Breaks of 52, 82 and 62 vaulted him into a 3-0 lead, and although O’Connor hit back to take the last frame before the interval, Higgins stole the fifth to land a hammer blow.
O’Connor failed to take further chances in the first session and was ruthlessly punished to fall 6-2 behind in the best-of-19 clash.
- World Grand Prix 2025: How to watch on TV, live stream, schedule, is O'Sullivan playing?
- 'Inspirational' Lisowski 'the closest thing we've got to Ronnie'
Higgins picked up where he left off when play resumed in the evening, moving 7-2 ahead with his seventh 50-plus break of the encounter.
To his credit, O’Connor fought right to the end. He twice got back within three at 7-4 and then 9-6 down thanks to breaks of 71, 70 and 67, but Higgins was not to be denied.
A superb long red opened his account in the 16th frame, and he fittingly capped off a mightily impressive victory with his first century of the match.
- - -
Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement