Tour Championship snooker 2025 LIVE RESULT: John Higgins WINS after beating Mark Selby in THRILLING Manchester final

Ding Junhui rues own brain

Ding Junhui has been one of the finest snooker players on the planet since he burst onto the scene 20 years ago, with his own brain as tough an opponent as anyone he faces on the table.

He said: "In the last tournament and the one before I was struggling,’ Ding said after beating Wilson. ‘Actually I didn’t feel bad, I just played some weird snooker.

"Like this first match against Mark Williams in the first four frames, I felt like I was 10 years of age. I didn’t know what I was doing.

"Sometimes you can’t keep your best form every match so you have to keep calm, play some scrappy shots and good shots in between,’ he said. ‘You need to learn how to make a balance of that. If not you go mad!

"Sometimes I blame myself too much about not playing well. I want to play well and feel good, I get very disappointed sometimes."

Moment that irked Stephen Hendry

Snooker legend Stephen Hendry threw his commentary microphone in anger after watching Si Jiahui opt for a safety shot against Mark Selby in the Tour Championship last week.

"Si Jiahui will be disappointed," Hendry said. "At times he didn't look like he belonged in that company, such was his shot choice. He didn't look on it, focussed, look like he belonged at that table with Mark Selby.

"Some of the shots he refused, there were some strange shot choices, for me. I don't know if he's thinking about the shots that everyone thinks he should play, rather than just committing to the shot that he wants. He had enough chances."

Ding makes interesting Worlds prediction

Ding Junhui believes that Zhao Xintong can cause a shock on his return to World Championship action.

He said: "Yes, definitely. He’s been playing good in the Q Tour. His confidence is back after being away for around two years.

“He’s taken to tournament play very quickly again. I’m excited to see him play.

The future is bright. There’s so many young players now growing up and improving quickly. Some of them are already winning titles — it’s amazing.

“I love to see them all practising well. They’re all living in the UK now, and they look much happier after winning tournaments.

“(Xiao) Guodong, Wu (Yize), and Lei Peifan are all doing much better this season. They’re playing to win it. I see they’re all at that level.”

White makes bold O'Sullivan prediction

Jimmy White is sure Ronnie O’Sullivan will be at the World Snooker Championship this year, despite doubts over the Rocket’s attendance.

He told The Metro: "He’ll be there for sure. It’s in his bones.

"One year he didn’t play all together and came back and won it.

"It’s going to be a bit more difficult for him in the first round because he’s had no match practice and the players have improved.

"But I still think he’ll be fine. One thing is for sure with O’Sullivan he does practice, whatever is going on in his life, he does practice."

Youngster aiming to create history

Antoni Kowalski admits it is ‘close to mission impossible’ but is trying to become the youngest ever winner of the World Snooker Championship this year.

The 21-year-old is in his first season as a professional and has picked up some good wins, but his best run so far remains the last 16 at the Shoot Out.

He told The Metro: "It would be very special to get to the Crucible.

"This is my last chance to become the youngest ever world champion so I will be concentrated as much as I can on that.

"It’s close to mission impossible but anything is possible in snooker.

"This will be the first time for me ever playing a best-of-19 match, I’m definitely excited for that,’ he said. ‘Preparation has gone well. I had a slow start to the season but it’s now going in the right direction. I think everything is going great.

"I’ve got a new cue, it’s back to its original length because the old one got cut, the ferrule broke the wood and it was cut a few centimetres which made my technique switch. I didn’t even realise. But getting a new cue, everything is back.

"I’ve been playing best-of-19 matches in practice for the first time ever, with Chris Wakelin, Michael Holt, Louis Heathcote, some other players as well. I practiced with Neil Robertson. I played Kyren Wilson but we didn’t have time for a best of 19 unfortunately."

Higgins talks down breaking record

John Higgins has played down his chances of beating Stephen Hendry's record of 36 ranking titles after his latest triumph.

Higgins is now on 33 ranking wins after scooping the Tour Championship, but it is not at the forefront of his thinking.

He said: "If that happens, it happens.

"I’m just lucky that I’ve won a couple of tournaments this year. It’s been a while, so I’m delighted.

"I mean, well Mark (Williams) won this last year, didn’t he. He’s going through some problems, and we’re hoping it gets better. With Ronnie we just hope he turns up for the World Championship.

“I’ve just got to really enjoy this moment because they don’t come along too often now when you get to my age. So, you’ve got to really enjoy them.”

Teen aiming to break record

Michal Szubarczyk is hoping to make history this week by breaking Ronnie O'Sullivan's long-standing record to become the youngest player to qualify for the World Championships at the Crucible.

The Pole has been making waves on the snooker circuit, winning the U16 and U18 European Championship titles in March.

But the teenager really caught the eye by reaching the final of the open age event, which saw him beaten by 34-year-old Liam Highfield.

That remarkable run was enough for Szubarczyk to be offered a two-year card offer on the World Snooker Tour (WST).

Now Szubarczyk is aiming to break O'Sullivan's 33-year record by qualifying for the 2025 World Championships.

Higgins hails best ever win

John Higgins is over the moon after producijng a stunning comeback to beat Mark Selby in the final of the Tour Championship.

He said following the victory: "You are playing a monster of a player.

"To be 5-1 up and to be frozen out to be 8-5 behind, you don’t come back and win five in a row against Mark Selby normally. I managed to do it, so it was incredible.

"It is incredibly difficult. You are just hitting a brick wall and I’ve done it so many times against him over the years. He just plays incredible stuff. It was my best ever win.’

"It is my best ever win. I was playing an unbelievable champion and he was looking like he was not going to miss, he was tying me up in knots.

"To do that against Mark gives me incredible belief that I can still mix it with the best players."

Extra bonus

John Higgins scooped a cool £150,000 for bagging the win on Sunday.

And he also took home a further £10k for the highest break of the tournament.

Higgins scored 144 against Barry Hawkins in the semi-finals, the best of any player at Manchester Central last week.

Hendry record eyed

John Higgins moved closer to Stephen Hendry's record of 36 ranking titles on Sunday.

The Wizard of Wishaw now has 33 titles, three shy of his fellow Scot's record.

Higgins played down any chance of him matching Hendry's record, telling Sportsboom: "If that happens, it happens.

"I’m just lucky that I’ve won a couple of tournaments this year. It’s been a while, so I’m delighted."

Stat attack

Here's the tale of a remarkable final, with John Higgins taking the last five frames to stun Mark Selby.

Ronnie update

Neil Robertson reckons it will be “Ronnie-mania” if the Rocket decides he WILL play in the World Championship.

But Aussie Robertson believes that snooker’s GOAT is privately relishing all the buzz surrounding the uncertainty.

The 2010 world champion said: “If he isn’t playing, it would be an absolutely massive blow.

“Even if I’m not involved in the world championship and if Ronnie is playing, I would watch."

Class of 92 milestone

Higgins's triumph on Sunday means a new milestone for the iconic Class of 92.

The Scot came through alongside fellow greats Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Williams.

His victory is the 100th ranking title among the trio.

Selby - Higgins is a warrior

Mark Selby looked set to add to his Welsh Open and English Open titles on Sunday.

But John Higgins had other ideas, storming back from 8-5 down to win 10-8.

Selby admitted: "John was incredible from 8-5.

"I missed a pink to the middle at 8-7, apart from that I didn't do a lot wrong, but my head was spinning.

"Every mistake I made, John punished me, he stood up like the warrior he is."

How Higgins sealed the win

Higgins hit two breaks of 102 and another of 94 as he seized control in the afternoon session, leading 5-1 before Selby hit back with breaks of 112 and 136 to finish the session.

He continued the momentum into the evening, a break of 119 in the 13th frame taking him 8-5 ahead.

But Higgins responded with a 110 break in the next and fought his way to parity before clinching victory with breaks of 84 and 132.

The eighth and final century of the match equalled the record for a best-of-19 frame final.

Higgins 'best ever win'

John Higgins won five frames in a row last night to beat Mark Selby 10-8 in the Tour Championship final for what he described as the best win of his long career.

Selby had earlier won seven frames in succession to move within two of victory, but Higgins dug in and restricted his opponent to just 18 points in the final five frames.

"It is my best ever win," said Higgins, who ended a four-year wait for a ranking title at last month's World Open in China.

"I was playing an unbelievable champion and he was looking like he was not going to miss, he was tying me up in knots.

"To do that against Mark gives me incredible belief that I can still mix it with the best players."