World Grand Prix: John Higgins enjoys ‘stunning’ Hong Kong after banishing ‘negative energy’
Scot maintains winning run, remains in hunt for second straight ranking title as victory over Kyren Wilson secures quarter-final berth
The four-time world snooker champion John Higgins has said he survived a constant battle with “negative thoughts and negative energy” to embark on his nine-match winning run in mainland China and Hong Kong.
An immaculate Higgins beat world No 2 Kyren Wilson 4-2 at Kai Tak Arena on Thursday to advance to Friday’s World Grand Prix quarter-finals.
Last week, Higgins won the World Open in Yushan to end a four-year trophy drought. The 49-year-old, who has won 32 ranking titles, had lost his previous five finals. In 2021, he was beaten 9-8, from 8-6 up, in both the Northern Ireland Open and English Open finals. The following year, he surrendered the last six frames of the Tour Championship final to lose 10-9 to Neil Robertson.
Higgins, who compiled a tournament-high 143 break against Wilson, told the Post: “As you get older, you have more negative thoughts and more negative energy inside you, so it’s a constant battle to try to get over the winning line.
“[After winning World Open] last week, things have lifted. I’m enjoying snooker, and wanting to play. Before, I was waiting for bad things to happen, which is no use, especially at this level where all players are animals on the table.”
World No 8 Higgins, who overcame Ali Carter 4-3 in round one, said talking to a sports psychologist last year had “helped a little bit”.