Higgins triumph reflects his character

On the face of it John Higgins win in Sheffield was another illustration of his all-round game. He is very strong in every department. No player can match Judd Trump in the long potting department but even here The Scot consistently makes long balls to get him in.

On coming back from suspension it must have been difficult for him to enter the fray again with confidence and his head held high. It needed special qualities to be able to put the issue aside when coming to the table and to resume playing world class snooker. It is this strength of character which we saw when it came to winning the world title for a fourth time.

In addition we musn't forget he had a really tough draw, opening against a resurgent Stephen Lee then dragged down by Rory Mcleod and followed with wins against real contenders Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Williams and finally Trump.

His recently departed dad did help him get through some difficult patches but he won because he was mentally the stronger player. An essential part of any champion's make-up. And this performance was worthy of a true champion.

Trump expects to Triumph

Judd Trump is best priced 8/13 with the sponsors Betfred to convert his 10-7 overnight lead into victory later today.

John Higgins had been at this juncture in so many important matches and could usually expect to see a stutter at some stage from his opponent. But Trump is so determined to carry on playing in the style that has got him this far. This makes him a dangerous animal and to win I think Higgins needs to take on more pots. Because if he doesn't he knows his opponent will take them on and make lots of them too. But if the Scot can then get level we can expect him to again be more circumspect and try to manage the scoreline.

Ronnie O'Sullivan tweeted yesterday that Trump was the best potter he'd ever seen. No need to doubt the sincerity of the statement because he is and a player that, on the back of  Barry Hearn's great work will further raise interest in the game.

Not just simply because he is a great potter but that he whacks it as well. It's no surprise that he has more flukes than anyone else. If you hit them that hard then before they come to rest they can travel a lot further...