On May 1, 2022, Beijing time, the snooker World Championship ended the semi-final competition, and Higgins lost to O'Sullivan 11-17 and missed the final. In the game, Higgins was furious after missing a chance, and when O'Sullivan hit a single shot to break the hundred, Higgins sat on the sideline and bit his finger, quite helpless. Higgins didn't play at his best, and his face was expressionless after being eliminated by O'Sullivan, which was painful.
Before the start of this World Championship, Higgins suffered a bitter defeat in the Tour Championship, losing six consecutive sets after winning the match point 9-4, and was staged by Neil Robertson to stage a super reversal. The defeat was a particular blow to veteran Higgins, so higgins was successful in being able to step onto the crucible stage with a fuller posture. Moreover, Higgins's progress to the final four of the World Championships without playing at his best is indeed admirable.
That's the tenacity of the veteran, Higgins is experienced and particularly strong in his ability to adjust. However, age is an unavoidable topic, he is a true veteran, still participated in most of the games this season, the attendance rate is very high, and many times in the final proves that he is still the top master of this stage, still has super competitiveness, but the final winning rate is not high and gives people a feeling of more than enough and insufficient strength.
Back at this World Championship, although Higgins reached the final four, he did not show the style of the four champions of the World Championship most of the time, and in the semi-finals, Facing O'Sullivan, who was particularly serious and in good shape, Higgins was too passive. The third stage was completely suppressed by O'Sullivan, he was a little anxious, after the long platform attack lost, Higgins was furious, angrily chopping the club, this is not higgins we are familiar with, this is a somewhat out of shape Higgins. The World Federation of Taiwan also ridiculed Higgins, bluntly saying that this scene was heart-wrenching, and it was also painful for the Crucible carpet.
There is also a scene that is also painful, O'Sullivan took over the game in the third stage, playing 2 shots in the last minute and winning 3 consecutive sets, Higgins could only watch O'Sullivan's performance on the sidelines, he looked helpless, biting his finger like an innocent child. This is a complete defeat, the impromptu state is indeed a big gap, but with Higgins' current age and competitive state, it has been very successful to reach the final four.
O'Sullivan won the 28th set to eliminate Higgins, and the two chatted on the sidelines, but Higgins was expressionless and perhaps unwilling, but it was indeed a complete defeat. O'Sullivan said after the game that he was surprised by the way Higgins played, he played the ball messily, the kind of Ann Global like Selby, but that's not Higgins' style, plus O'Sullivan also thought Higgins' defense was too conservative, which may be his shortcomings this season.
No matter what, the 75 Sanjie will continue to move forward, hoping that O'Sullivan will work hard to impact the championship, and also look forward to the next gathering of the 75 Sanjie!