Ronnie O’Sullivan says John Higgins is the “most complete player” on tour and believes his Scottish rival is definitely among the favourites to win the 2018 World Championship. Higgins is one of the greatest players to have graced the game and his four world titles, picked up in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011, leave him fifth on the all-time list of World Championship winners.
Only Stephen Hendry (7), Steve Davis (6), Ray Reardon (6) and O’Sullivan (5) are ahead while the Scot’s 30 career ranking titles puts him in third place behind Hendry (36) and O’Sullivan (33). The wizard of Wishaw, now one of the elder statesmen on tour at 42, has been in impressive form in this campaign, having won the 2017 Indian Open, 2018 Welsh Open and 2018 Championship League for the second year in a row. The world number five is priced at 10/1 to win the season-ending event at the Crucible in Sheffield and O’Sullivan, who is the 15/8 favourite, believes Higgins is feared by everyone. “Every snooker player on the circuit knows he’s the most complete player,” he told the Daily Mail. “And when he’s on, he’s virtually unplayable. He’s got such a great game. “If John Higgins finds it, every player is going to say, ‘You don’t want to play him'”
O’Sullivan also spoke about defending champion Mark Selby and ‘The Rocket’ feels the ‘Jester from Leicester’, a 10/3 chance to retain his crown, is the favourite in his eyes. “Even if he hadn’t won in China, he would have been the favourite,” he added. “But that win has given Selby a little more confidence.”