John Higgins comeback stuns Ronnie O’Sullivan in World Snooker Championship classic

John Higgins pulled off an epic comeback to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 13-12 in the second round of the World Snooker Championship, with the legends producing an instant Crucible classic.

The two 50-year-olds went toe-to-toe over three sessions in Sheffield, with O’Sullivan enjoying the better of the early stages, taking 6-2, 8-3 and 9-4 leads.

The Wizard of Wishaw was nowhere near his immense best in the first two sessions but won the final three frames on Sunday night to stay in touch at 9-7 behind.

The Scot then found form on Monday afternoon, winning the first three to take the lead in the match for the first time.

The standard in the final session was sensational, especially given the situation, with Stephen Hendry on the BBC saying it was the best session he has ever watched.

It wound its way to a deciding frame to provide the Crucible crowd the most drama imaginable and that last stanza did not disappoint.

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Both missed chances and kept the tension alive but the Wizard took the second opportunity he was given, making 49 to go very close to victory, before he got over the line.

‘I came to the party, at last!’ Higgins told the BBC.

‘I came out last night and won 5-3, gave myself a chance. Today the table was re-covered and it played a lot better.

‘I thought Ronnie played, in and about the balls, it was the best I’ve ever seen him hit the balls, he was cueing it so well.’

On a special Crucible occasion, he added: ‘That was an incredible atmosphere, especially when we walked out there alongside Mark [Williams] two nights ago.’

O’Sullivan told the BBC of Higgins: ‘He played well, deserved his win, strong. If he plays like he did in that last session he’s got a chance of winning the championship.’

Higgins moves on to face Neil Robertson or Chris Wakelin in the quarter-finals as his bid for a fifth world title moves on in brilliant fashion.

O’Sullivan was firmly in control early in the contest, looking in tremendous form as he made breaks of 86, 82, 137 and 95 in taking a 4-1 lead.

Higgins was below-par but it was more about the Rocket sparkling in Saturday night’s opening session, which finished 6-2 in the Englishman’s favour.

They returned on Sunday night, with Higgins taking the first impressively, but O’Sullivan looked to be continuing his fluent form from the previous evening as he knocked in a 116 and an 80 to go 8-3 up.

The next two were shared and the Rocket looked very comfortable at 9-4 but then things started to go horribly wrong for him.

Higgins won the final three frames of Sunday, all tight and in dramatic fashion, with frustration setting in for the seven-time world champion, who punched the table in the 16th, finishing the night just 9-7 up.

Monday afternoon was set up for a blockbuster final session and Higgins looked to have finally found top gear, having just scrapped to stay in touch previously.

He began the day with runs of 59, 118 and 128 to hit the lead for the first time in the match at 10-9, with O’Sullivan looking in serious trouble.

This was shaping up to be a Crucible classic, though, and the Rocket was not ready to fizzle out just yet, making a 62 from an extremely difficult position, which turned out to be enough to level up the match again at the final mid-session interval.

Things had looked bleak for the Rocket when he lost those six frames on the spin but he admirably stopped the rot and then was back in some kind of flow, knocking in a 93 to move back ahead.

Higgins was going nowhere, though, responding with a stunning break of 111 to draw level again at 11-11.

The Wizard was really spellbinding at this point, knocking in an 88 to go one frame from victory, but the Rocket was not buckling either and made 81 to force a decider.

Both missed reds early when presented with chances to win, but Higgins kept himself together, just, to get over the line.

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