SNOOKER’s Class of ’92 is considered one of the greatest generations of players to come through in a sport.
It’s been more than three decades since John Higgins, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Williams burst onto the snooker scene as teenagers when they turned professional in 1992.
O’Sullivan is considered the greatest snooker player of all timeCredit: GettyHe had a fierce rivalry with Stephen Hendry back in the dayCredit: GettyBut his rivalry with John Higgins goes back to when they were teenagersCredit: PA:Press Association
Fast-forward 32 years and the trio are still incredibly in the top 16, having all won multiple world titles at the crucible and recorded 147s in the iconic venue in Sheffield.
With an astonishing 39 Triple Crown titles between them, they’ve all been world No.1 on multiple occasions, with O’Sullivan considered the greatest player of all time along with Stephen Hendry.
But although the Wizard of Wishaw and Welsh Potting Machine don’t come close to the Rocket in terms of career winnings and trophies, it hasn’t always been that way.
It was Higgins who actually had the bragging rights when he first faced O’Sullivan on the table.
They first crossed paths at the 1991 Pontis Autumn Open in Prestatyn, Wales, but they never got the chance to play each other in that tournament.
However, they eventually met at the Mita Masters a couple of months later and it was Higgins who came out on top in a dramatic 5-4 win after a tie break in the final frame.
O’Sullivan was one of the favourites to win the competition but Higgins stunned the Rocket to progress to the semi-final.
And the defeat didn’t go down well for now seven-time world champ O’Sullivan as Higgins revealed his rival was reduced to tears when the match was over.
Fellow Scotsman Hendry quizzed Higgins about his relationship with ’92 stars Williams and O’Sullivan on his YouTube channel Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips.
And recalling the moment when it all began with O’Sullivan, Higgins said: “That was the first time I had ever seen them (the 1991 Pontis Autumn Open).
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“I think Ronny had played with Mark since they were ten or 11 and they’d obviously never heard of me.
“Scotland won the team event after beating England and Wales.
“Two months later, the Junior Masters was on and I played Ronnie in the quarter-final and I beat him on the tiebreak.
“He burst out crying. I though it was hilarious!
“He was obviously expected to win or get to the final but I beat him and he started crying.
“I was thinking ‘oh my god, this guy with a beard and everything is crying’.
“I played Mark in the final and beat him 6-1. I won £5000.”
O’Sullivan might be regarded by many as the best to ever play the sport but he refused to name himself in his top five players of all-time when asked for his list last year.
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But there was a place for Wishaw-born Higgins.
Speaking after beating longtime rival Ali Carter at the Shanghai Masters last September, he said: “Stephen Hendry, number one. Steve Davis, number two. Joe Davis, number three. Ray Reardon, number four. John Higgins, number five.”
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Publish date : 2024-07-25 13:59:55
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