John Higgins has predicted when his final appearance at the Crucible will be, stating he does not see himself going to qualifiers for major events and expects to retire when he falls out of the world's top 16. That moment does not appear imminent, as the 50-year-old recently reached the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship at the iconic venue.
Narrow Miss on Ninth Final
Higgins narrowly missed out on a ninth final, losing 17-15 to Shaun Murphy in a thrilling contest in Sheffield. The Wizard of Wishaw defeated Ali Carter, Ronnie O'Sullivan, and Neil Robertson on his way to the semi-finals, falling just short of becoming the oldest Triple Crown finalist in history. Turning 51 this month, Higgins remains among the game's elite but acknowledges the end of his illustrious career is approaching.
Crucible Renovation Plans
The deal to keep the World Championship at the Crucible has been extended until 2045, though the tournament will move temporarily after the 2028 edition for a renovation project. Higgins feels he is unlikely to play at the revamped Crucible in 2030 or beyond. 'I definitely think I'll be here until they start work on it, I think. I'm not being big-headed, but I think I will be here competing,' he said before this year's championship. 'But I think, as people are speculating on it, it could be two years until you then come back to playing it. I think I'll be doing well to be back here playing it. Yeah, I think so.'
Struggle with Qualifiers
Having been a seeded player at every World Championship since 1996, Higgins cannot envision motivating himself to go through qualifiers if he drops out of the top 16. 'I don't think I can see myself having to qualify for big events,' he said. 'I know we have to qualify for a lot of the Chinese events, but I think other players are doing that, so I could be on the next table and go to a Mark Selby or a Neil Robertson who's qualifying for the same event. But I don't know if I would like to go to qualifiers when I know the other best players are already seeded into these big events. I don't know if I could handle that. I don't think so. No, I don't think so. Not when I think I've been doing it for so long at a certain position.' He added: 'You could just go on that downward spiral and you don't ever think you're going to go off it to get back up there.'
Increasing Difficulty
Higgins hopes to be back at the business end of the Crucible again but admits he expects it to become harder each year. 'It's getting more difficult,' he said. 'There's some great players coming along that have got the hunger and the fight and the desire to get their names on that trophy, so it's an uphill battle.' Shaun Murphy, after his semi-final victory, described Higgins as a man nearing retirement but still formidable. 'I'm exhausted, I'm over the moon. A match with John, four sessions, World semi-final. It doesn't get much more difficult than that. What a player, what a man. The harder it gets, the better he seems to play. No wonder he's been such a great champion over the years. And if I'm half the player that he is when I'm in my 50s, then I feel like I've done something right,' Murphy said.
