Ronnie O'Sullivan will begin his bid for an eighth World Snooker Championship title on Tuesday and could meet four-time winner John Higgins in the Crucible decider next month
Scottish snooker legend John Higgins is one of the few pros who has consistently earned the respect of Ronnie O'Sullivan over the years.
While 'The Rocket' isn't known for vocalising strong admiration for fellow players, it appears four-time world champion Higgins is an exception. Both baize icons are contenders for the 2025 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
And snooker fans should be thrilled at the possibility of a final showdown between O'Sullivan - who kicks off his Crucible quest against Ali Carter on Tuesday - and 'The Wizard of Wishaw'. Higgins, 49, got off to a winning start by defeating Joe O'Connor 10-7 in his first-round match.
The Lanarkshire legend was visibly emotional post-match as he discussed his father-in-law's recent heart attack, breaking down in tears before being comforted by BBC host Seema Jaswal.
O'Sullivan's respect for Higgins isn't just for show. Snooker MC Phil Seymour shared a tale earlier this year about how the seven-time world champ arrived early for their final at the 2021 Players Championship, displaying signs of anxiety before facing a competitor he holds in high esteem.
"That's very unlike Ronnie [to show up early]. He normally turns up at the last minute and on he goes," Seymour revealed on the Onefourseven Snooker Podcast (via the Mirror). "So he arrived early and there's only me and him there.
"I said something like, 'You're keen', and he looked at me and said, 'Phil, I just want to get in that car and go home mate. When John Higgins is playing like this it's hardly worth playing him. You've got no chance'.
"I thought those were brilliant words. They were the sort of things that you wouldn't hear Ronnie saying in an interview. They were great words."
Those remarks highlighted just how formidable Higgins was at the time, as illustrated by a 10-3 victory over O'Sullivan. Yet despite the defeat, he never harboured any resentment, heaping further accolades upon Higgins after his semi-final win against Yan Bingtao at the 2021 Northern Ireland Open.
"I am baffled when people say they want to play John Higgins," he told TNT Sports. "You don't want to play John Higgins. It's like playing Messi, I don't want to play against Lionel Messi, I don't want to play against Roger Federer. If he's playing well like tonight, I'm going to be a spectator."
Again, it goes to show the high regard in which he holds his adversary, likening him to the eight-time Ballon d'Or recipient Messi. And O'Sullivan has also elaborated on where he ranks Higgins among the most challenging opponents he has encountered.
"John was probably the best all-round player that's ever played the game, yeah, without a doubt," he said earlier this month. "Technically unbelievable, break-building fantastic, safety... Probably been no one better. Bottle - tonnes of it.
"My only thing, if you're going to criticise someone, I just think he wasn't aggressive enough. I think he would've won a lot more if he had just been more aggressive. But I don't think John is built like that, I think his mindset is, 'I just want to shut up shop', and he can keep you out for hours and hours."
One could argue the plaudit is that much more meaningful because of the juxtaposition between their playing philosophies. O'Sullivan has described his belief in being aggressive and forcing chances, fully believing some opponents are "going to crack" at some point.
On the flip side, he encouraged Higgins to be bolder and argued his talent allowed for such risks. "It's okay to give chances away when you're that good, because the opponent is just going to crumble anyway and leave you in," he said
While commentating at the 2024 Welsh Open, O'Sullivan again expressed admiration for Higgins' robust gameplay. And he noted his wise decision to adopt a coach to work on the mental aspect of his game, recognising the difference it could make in harnessing his full potential.
"It does not take long for John to get going," he said during an appearance on Eurosport. "If everything went bad for him he'd still be a top-eight player, his standard can never drop below a certain level but if he clicks it and finds it, it is like a train with no brakes.
"There isn't another player on the circuit who can stay with him. He is so good in every department, but it is hard to keep repeating that performance after performance."
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