Snooker:An emotional John Higgins claimed his fourth World Championship title at the Crucible last night as the most harrowing 12 months of his life ended in triumph.
Judd Trump's exhilarating run in Sheffield ended in defeat at the hands of a Crucible master as Higgins prevailed 18-15. Higgins broke down in tears at mention of his late father, the man who guided his career and died in February, but savoured his victory.
"It's been great. It's an unbelievable moment," said Higgins.
"John was the better player on the day," Trump said, although Higgins immediately countered that thought.
"We've got a new sensation in the game," Higgins said.
At one stage Trump, the sensation of the tournament if not its champion, led 12-9. However as he attempted to stretch four frames clear the 21-year-old missed a difficult blue, and that proved a turning point.
Fearless potting had served Trump well through the rounds, from his opening win over last year's champion Neil Robertson, through crushing victories against Martin Gould and Graeme Dott and again as he ended Ding Junhui's campaign in the semi-finals.
It brought him 10 centuries, an army of new supporters, and the belief that he was suddenly "invincible".
This for a player who had to come through qualifying just to reach the first round. And yet the potting was his downfall in the latter stages, with the qualifier from Bristol taking on too much, missing too often and leaving chances for Higgins.
A year to the day ago, Higgins was the subject of frame-fixing allegations which overshadowed the final. He was charged by the snooker authorities, but battled to clear his name and largely succeeded. The fixing charges were dropped and a six-month ban for minor offences around betting kept him sidelined only until November.
A triumph at the UK Championship in December was followed by the Welsh Open title in February, just days after the death of his father, John snr. Higgins dearly wanted to win the world title for his father, and after his semi-final win over Mark Williams he pointed to the heavens to show what reaching another final meant.
Having played poorly on Sunday and finished just 10-7 behind, the Scot produced a performance befitting his status as a great of the game to firstly draw level and then fend off Trump who refused to give up.
Higgins was almost machine-like in his efficiency as he made one frame-winning break after another. Trump saw practically every error being punished, and under that sort of pressure it was hardly any wonder he began to produce them more frequently.
Only Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ray Reardon have won more world titles in the modern era than Higgins, who goes one ahead of his quarter-final victim Ronnie O'Sullivan after adding to his 1998, 2007 and 2009 successes.
In the afternoon session, Higgins had won six of eight frames to open a 13-12 lead, making 59, 97, 47, 93, 113 and 57. Considering his highest break in the opening 17 frames was a mere 64, it was some improvement.
Trump got to 38 on a break in the first frame of the evening before potting a red but going in-off into a middle pocket. There seemed to be little danger but Higgins pulled out a tremendous cut red to launch a break of 62. Again, Trump had lost a frame in which he led.
He ended a five-frame streak for Higgins, aided by a run of 41, but looked to be in trouble after missing a black in the next.
However, Higgins did the same with a 38-25 lead, sending both white and black bouncing on the table.
Trump cannot have imagined getting another chance, but he did and he took it to make it 14-14. He moved 51-0 ahead in the next frame before leaving himself snookered on the black after splitting the pack. Again, Higgins found a way to win the frame.
Trump fluked a red to lead 35-0 in the 30th frame but then missed the black and had every reason to fear the worst. This time Higgins ground to a halt on 45, playing safe off the yellow, but further chances followed and soon the frame was safe. Trump replied with 70 and narrowed Higgins' lead to one frame again.
The youngster howled with disgust when the pink ran into the white's path to halt a break of 33 in frame 32, and he could hardly bear to watch as Higgins looked poised to clear up. He missed the brown after reaching 50, but still went on to take the frame.
Trump was one away from defeat but opened a 60-0 lead in the next frame, before missing a straight pink. After another red, Trump had enough points to leave Higgins needing a snooker, but he got it on the pink, tucking up behind the black.
Higgins doubled pink and potted an easy black, and the title was his again.
John Higgins factfile:
1975: Born May 18 in Wishaw.
1992: Begins his professional snooker career.
1994: Wins Grand Prix title, his first ranking event title, by beating Dave Harold in the final.
1995: Wins International Open, British Open and German Open.
1996: Makes successful defence of International Open title.
1997: Wins German Open and European Open.
1998: Wins World Championship for first time, beating Ken Doherty in the final.
Also wins British Open and UK Championship. Becomes world number one for the first time.
1999: Wins the Masters, China International and Grand Prix.
2000: Wins UK Championship and Welsh Open.
2001: Wins British Open. Loses 18-12 to Ronnie O'Sullivan in World Championship final.
2003: Becomes first player to make two 147 breaks in successive matches at world ranking events. The first comes in the final of the LG Cup, although Higgins is beaten by Mark Williams. The second arrives in his opening match at the British Open against Michael Judge.
2004: Wins British Open.
2005: Wins Grand Prix, beating O'Sullivan 9-2, and in that match becomes the first player to make century breaks in four successive frames at a ranking tournament.
2006: Wins Masters, coming from 9-8 down to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-9.
2007: Wins World Championship, beating Mark Selby 18-13 in a match which finishes at 12.54am. Announces plans to create a World Series of Snooker, to run alongside the WPBSA's regular calendar of ranking events.
2008: Awarded MBE in New Year Honours. Wins Grand Prix in Glasgow, beating Ryan Day. First World Series of Snooker season begins and takes the sport to European cities including Berlin, Moscow and Warsaw.
2009: Wins third World Championship title, beating Shaun Murphy 18-9 in the final. Loses UK Championship final to Ding Junhui.
2010- January: Wins Welsh Open.
April: Suffers shock second-round defeat to Steve Davis at World Championship.
May- Higgins is filmed by the News of the World newspaper allegedly agreeing to accept £261,000 in return for agreeing to fix the outcome of four frames in matches to be played later that year. Higgins strenuously denies any wrongdoing.
May 9: Higgins releases a statement in which he says he will "vigorously defend" himself in the face of allegations he agreed to fix frames and again insisted he is "100% innocent".
September 8: Higgins is handed a six-month suspension and fined £75,000 after admitting "intentionally giving the impression to others that they were agreeing to act in breach of the betting rules" and failing to report the matter to World Snooker.
The more serious charges of "agreeing or offering" to accept bribes and "agreeing to engage in corrupt or fraudulent conduct" were withdrawn by the association following a two-day hearing in London.
December: Beats Mark Williams in UK Championship final.
2011 - February: Defeats Stephen Maguire to win Welsh Open, a little more than two weeks after the death of his father.
May- Wins fourth World Championship crown with 18-15 defeat of Judd Trump.