John Higgins took immense pride from landing the 29th ranking title of his career at the Indian Open, and thus surpassing the tally of his boyhood idol Steve Davis. Four-time world champion Higgins beat Anthony McGill 5-1 in an all-Scottish clash at the Indian Open final in Vishakhapatnam to move one clear of both Davis and Ronnie O’Sullivan in terms of career ranking successes. A full 23 years on from his first ranking crown, Higgins is still going strong at 42 and there could be more titles to come from last season’s beaten World Championship finalist.
He moves up from third to second in the world rankings thanks to the top prize of £50,000 in India but, for Higgins, overhauling the legendary Davis was a special achievement. “It’s a great feeling to win a tournament because you don’t know when your next one is going to come. I’ve had some tough games this week and it’s a short format so there’s a lot of pressure when you are favourite,” said the Wizard of Wishaw. “Steve and Ronnie have both won more invitation events than me, and I’m sure Ronnie will win more ranking events.
But just to go above Steve, who was my hero growing up, is a feather in the cap for me. It’s an unbelievable feeling.” Higgins had words of encouragement for his young opponent in defeat, while he revealed there would be no celebration of his landmark success as he move
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