John Higgins was beaten by Kyren Wilson at this year’s World Snooker Championship but responded graciously by seeking out the Warrior’s son to give him a momento.
It was a huge quarter-final clash between Wilson and Higgins after the legendary Scot had beaten Mark Allen 13-12 in an epic previous outing, finishing it off with one of the great Crucible clearances in the decider.
Wilson got the win, though, playing brilliantly to beat the Wizard of Wishaw 13-8 and continue his march which ultimately led him all the way to his first world title.
Higgins took the defeat extremely well, though, with Wilson revealing that the four-time world champion gave Wilson Jr a special gift and (correctly) tipped up his dad to lift the trophy.
‘He did something really nice,’ Wilson told Stephen Hendry on his Cue Tips channel. ‘After I beat John he went up to the Champions’ Lounge, Sophie and my boys were up there and he gave my youngest son Bailey – who’s more into his snooker than my eldest – he gave him his dickie bow.
‘He said: “I think your dad’s going to win it this year and when he does when it I want to remember that I gave you my dickie bow.”
‘He took it off John and went, “Oh my god, it smells so good!” He’s been wearing it [since].’
Higgins was magnanimous straight after the loss in Sheffield, saying of Wilson after the match: ‘He was far too powerful for me. He played great. It was a brilliant performance.’
Wilson has had a pretty slow start to his first season as world champion, not progressing through his first Championship League group and then suffering a surprise 6-0 whitewash defeat to Zhou Yuelong in his Shanghai Masters opener.
However, the campaign is really kicking into gear this month with two huge new tournaments in the Xi’an Grand Prix and the big-money Saudi Arabia Masters.
The Warrior knows he has a target on his back as the world champ but he is not fazed by it and is aiming big this season and for the rest of his career.
‘I’m not going to cower away from it,’ he said. ‘That [world title] took me up to world number three, I want to tick it all off by the time I’m done. I want to be world number one, [Triple Crowns] I’ve come close at the Masters, the UK [Championship] has always deserted me, I want to be a multiple world champion, I don’t want to just win it once.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE : ‘It’s agony!’ – In-form Dave Gilbert playing through ‘horrible’ injury
MORE : Crucial 10 days of qualifying for trio of big World Snooker Tour ranking events
MORE : World Snooker Tour confirm massive centuries bonus – but it is very tough to win
