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O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby TheRocket



Look at the standard and quality of this match. From Higgins as well. And I think is the best, Ronnie O'Sullivan has played in a 4 session match. His Allround game was probably not as good as post-2004 but he was a potting and scoring machine.

Re: O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby Holden Chinaski

TheRocket wrote:


Look at the standard and quality of this match. From Higgins as well. And I think is the best, Ronnie O'Sullivan has played in a 4 session match. His Allround game was probably not as good as post-2004 but he was a potting and scoring machine.

I need to watch this match again sometime.

Re: O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby vodkadiet1

The best quality final I have seen was the 98 final final. The standard was awesome and on tables that weren't playing anywhere near as easy as today's tables.

Re: O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby Pink Ball

The 2001 final was very good. 1998 was also of a very high quality if less exciting. I think the standard in snooker overall between 1998 and 2004 is something we won't see for a while again. It was the golden era of the sport.

I think Trump has played at a very high level over the last three years, and that would definitely have been good enough to put him amongst the best players of that era, but it wouldn't be nearly enough to dominate, and it wouldn't be enough to be the best either. His performance in the 2019 final was probably the best I've seen in a world final, though. Hendry in 1993 might have been my pick before that. O'Sullivan was excellent in the 2013 final as well.

Re: O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby Iranu

I’ve never seen a better standard of play from one player in a world final than Judd in 2019. That was scarily good snooker.

Re: O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby Pink Ball

I think the strength in depth is better now, but there's no way that the top players are as good.

I think we reached the zenith going into the 2004/05 season. The top nine players in the world were:
1. O'Sullivan
2. Williams
3. Hendry
4. Hunter
5. Higgins
6. Stevens
7. Doherty
8. Ebdon
9. Lee

There's a big drop off in quality after that top nine, but that top nine is frightening. Compare it to today:

1. Trump
2. O'Sullivan
3. Robertson
4. Selby
5. Wilson
6. Higgins
7. Murphy
8. Maguire
9. Ding

Re: O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby Andre147

Over 4 sessions? I would disagree with you TR. I would definately say his 2013 world final was his best 4 session match, closely followed by his Semi-Finals in 2004 and 2008. And 1999 as well, even though he lost.

After those I would put the 2001 Final.

Re: O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby Iranu

Andre147 wrote:Over 4 sessions? I would disagree with you TR. I would definately say his 2013 world final was his best 4 session match, closely followed by his Semi-Finals in 2004 and 2008. And 1999 as well, even though he lost.

After those I would put the 2001 Final.

I agree with this. The way Hawkins played in 2013, that final should have been a lot more competitive than it was, but Ronnie was so good it still felt a bit like a procession.

Re: O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby Iranu

Pink Ball wrote:There's no way his 2013 World final performance was as good as his 2004 and 2008 semi finals against Hendry. Especially 2004. He mopped the bucking floor with him. And I had expected a titanic match.

Yeah I was talking more in terms of 2013 vs 2001.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ronnie play as consistently devastating safety as the 2008 semi.

Re: O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby TheRocket

Andre147 wrote:Over 4 sessions? I would disagree with you TR. I would definately say his 2013 world final was his best 4 session match, closely followed by his Semi-Finals in 2004 and 2008. And 1999 as well, even though he lost.

After those I would put the 2001 Final.


I also had 2004,2008 and 2013 and probably 1999 ahead of this one but then I watched this match again and realized how well he played. Yes, his Allround game wasnt as good but it was devastating scoring and potting from start to finish against a strong Higgins. In rapid speed. His technique in 2001 was also different. Bridge hand a lot further away from the cue ball and he had more cue power because of that.

But its a tough call anyway. The matches you mentioned are the Top5 matches he played over 4 sessions no doubt.

Re: O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby Holden Chinaski

When Ronnie was younger his lows were lower and his highs were higher if that makes sense. When he was bad he was really bad but when he was good he was unbelievable. These days he's more levelled, more consistent. He still has genius moments and he still has terrible moments but they seem less extreme than they used to be.

The only thing I don't like these days is that it seems he has become a slow starter. He loses some big matches these days just because it took him a couple of frames to get going. That's probably the age factor. Because of this, I think the longer matches are better for him now. If the match against Jordan Brown was a couple of frames longer Ronnie would have won, I think.

Re: O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby TheRocket

Holden Chinaski wrote:When Ronnie was younger his lows were lower and his highs were higher if that makes sense. When he was bad he was really bad but when he was good he was unbelievable. These days he's more levelled, more consistent. He still has genius moments and he still has terrible moments but they seem less extreme than they used to be.

The only thing I don't like these days is that it seems he has become a slow starter. He loses some big matches these days just because it took him a couple of frames to get going. That's probably the age factor. because of this, I think the longer matches are better for him now. If the match against Jordan Brown was a couple of frames longer Ronnie would have won, I think.


I agree with this. Hes been more balanced after working with Peters and hasnt had that many up and downs but back in the old days , if he had a good day it was like extremely good.

So his peak level was higher when he was younger but obviously his B or C game was worse than it was when he was in his mid 30's or early 40's. As for right now he's in his mid 40's so naturally the age factor starts to kick in.

Re: O'Sullivan Higgins 2001 World final

Postby Andre147

TheRocket wrote:
Andre147 wrote:Over 4 sessions? I would disagree with you TR. I would definately say his 2013 world final was his best 4 session match, closely followed by his Semi-Finals in 2004 and 2008. And 1999 as well, even though he lost.

After those I would put the 2001 Final.


I also had 2004,2008 and 2013 and probably 1999 ahead of this one but then I watched this match again and realized how well he played. Yes, his Allround game wasnt as good but it was devastating scoring and potting from start to finish against a strong Higgins. In rapid speed. His technique in 2001 was also different. Bridge hand a lot further away from the cue ball and he had more cue power because of that.

But its a tough call anyway. The matches you mentioned are the Top5 matches he played over 4 sessions no doubt.


Indeed. Like you say, back then he could play deep screw back shots that he just cannot do nowadays, and like Holden says his highs and lows were much more pronounced.