Stephen Hendry didn’t mince his words while assessing John Higgins‘ display in last weekend’s Masters final. The veteran Scot enjoyed a brilliant run at the tournament, beating the likes of Barry Hawkins, Zhao Xintong and Judd Trump. However, he was outplayed in the final by Kyren Wilson, who secured a 10-6 victory to win his first Masters title and scoop the £350,000 jackpot.
It wasn’t exactly a classic, with most of the drama coming via unforced errors as both players struggled to deal with the pressure. Higgins was only two frames behind going into the final session but suffered a collapse as Wilson took full control. Hendry wasn’t impressed with the 50-year-old’s display, which he branded ‘alarming’ as he reflected on how the match played out.
Speaking on the Snooker Club podcast, Hendry said: “I don’t know what happened to John in the last session, whether he just ran out of steam. I don’t know whether late night finishes, he’s not at his best physically.
“He did weaken really, really quickly. It was quite alarming to see how his game just completely dropped off after the interval in that match.
“For whatever reason his game dropped off a cliff at the end. He missed a pink off the spot which was incredible.
“He didn’t give up, but his body language gave the impression that he thought: ‘I can’t do this’. Even his safety play was average which is not like John.
“I don’t know if it was a realisation to himself that his game was not good enough. He was like a boxer, John was on the ropes and just needed knocking down at the end.”
“The crowd were fantastic and the entrance tonight was one of the best experiences I’ve had as a snooker player,” Higgins told BBC Sport.
“The conditions were absolutely fantastic as well but I was just useless. It’s disappointing because the last two finals I’ve played in I’ve gone out like a light.
“Taking no credit away from Kyren, he was by far the better player. He was totally dominant. He’s a great champion.”
Wilson, meanwhile, described the contest as an ‘absolute dogfight’ and was emotional after the victory as he fought back tears in his post-match interview.
He said: “In 2018, I lost in the final and cried and I’m trying not to cry now as it means so much to me. It was an honour and privilege to share the table with an idol of mine.
“It was just an absolute dogfight and I tried to be as dogged as John has been over the years, and that is why he has been so successful. I’m glad he’s managed to give me one for a change.”