John Higgins drops retirement hint after Tour Championship exit

John Higgins teased that this year could be his last World Championship after defeat to Mark Allen in the first round of the Tour Championship on Monday night.

The Pistol beat the Wizard 10-7 in a brilliant contest in Manchester as the Northern Irishman made three tons and four half-centuries on his way to victory.

The Scot started brilliantly, with four half-centuries in the first five frames to take a 4-1 lead, but fell away a bit from there and Allen powered to victory in the second session.

Higgins was impressed with Allen’s performance and turned his attention to the Crucible later this month, but suggested it could be his ‘final go’ at the World Championship.

‘I thought Mark played very well tonight,’ Higgins told ITV. ‘I should have been in front today, 4-4. then I thought Mark played better tonight.

‘I missed two or three unforgivable balls at this level. You cannot afford to miss and my long game was really onn-existant as well. At this level it’s not good enough against the best players

‘I just need to dust myself down. A couple of weeks before the Worlds, try and get some good practice and go there and give it a final go, maybe.’

Whether Higgins was just disappointed by the defeat or he was perhaps suggesting one more realistic crack at winning the event, it wasn’t certain, but the 48-year-old did appear to be suggesting that the end is near.

‘You can’t have one without the other. It’s a hard one. But right here and now I should be looking at the positives and going there and giving my all.’