John Higgins admits questioning snooker future as he confesses to 'dark times'

 John Higgins admits that he has been through 'dark times' in recent years and even considered retiring from snooker, but the veteran is now enjoying an Indian summer

John Higgins has opened up about the 'dark times' he's faced recently

John Higgins has credited his recent World Open triumph with reigniting his snooker spark.

The 49-year-old Scot claimed his first ranking title in four years at the World Open in Yushan on Sunday and hasn't stopped there, going on to knock out reigning world champion Kyren Wilson at the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.

The 'Wizard of Wishaw' opened up about how this success has been a salve for the tough times, telling WST: "I felt great, I felt no pressure whatsoever, and it was a big monkey off my back really because I'd lost in some pretty heartbreaking finals.

"To get that off my back I'm now thinking that I've proved to myself I can do it at this age alongside the likes of Ronnie [O'Sullivan] and Mark [Williams]. They are two players I admire so much, so this was a big win for me.

"You go through some dark times, drives home and flights home and you're talking to yourself asking if you need to do it. If you need to put yourself through it. As I've always said, the competitive nature within yourself that has got you to a certain level within the sport probably wouldn't allow you to back down and drift away meekly. That's what's kept me driving on to try and taste the winning feeling again."

Higgins ended his long wait for a ranking title with a 10-6 victory over Joe O'Connor in the World Open final at the weekend. At 49, he became the oldest ranking-event finalist since 1986 and sealed his victory in style with a century break in the final frame.

"It's a really proud moment for me," he told Sports Boom. "If I'm honest, I didn't know if I was going to win an event again. I'm not sure if I had the belief. But I always hoped it would happen again. I always believed I was good enough to do it."

Higgins ended his four-year wait for a ranking title on Sunday

He added: "Hopefully, this will give me confidence going forward. It's a really special moment for me. It feels amazing to win again."

Clinching the title in Yushan secures Higgins a spot among the elite top 16 for the next two seasons. When asked whether fans could expect to see him competing until at least 2027, Higgins responded with thoughtful consideration: "I don't think I've ever been in the right space to pick and choose events like some of the other boys, but I think now it will give me the scope to not play in as many tournaments.

"I know I've said before, 'What else would I do?' but with having that cushion I'm going to have where you can be pretty much be guaranteed then it's good to be able pick and choose."

Higgins couldn't build on his victory in the World Open at the World Grand Prix, however, as he was beaten 5-3 in the quarter-finals by Shaun Murphy on Friday.