Final

So, after 15 days, we arrive at the final. It will be interesting to see how the BBC 'experts' preview this given that a 42 year old plays a 43 year old (and another 42 year old has dominated the season, and is threatening to become world number 1 next season, despite not playing in half of the events). This is the only time in the 41-year history of The Crucible that 2 40+ year olds have contested the final. It's all the more baffling, given that the standard has never been higher! No doubt, we'll get J.Parrott informatively telling us that they have reached the final as 'if you play the correct shot most of the time and execute it well most of the time you won't go far wrong, and that's what these 2 boys do - it's as simple as that'. A truly enlightening insight.

This final would have been unthinkable a couple of seasons ago. J.Higgins was playing to a reasonable standard, but hadn't gone beyond the QF of a 'triple crown event' for 5 years before reaching last season's World Final, and M.Williams had apparently considered retiring, and had to be convinced to carry on by his wife. Although, that was just the latest example of a player being 'talked out' of giving the game up, it does show that Williams was struggling badly with his game. He took the drastic step of changing the way he addresses the cue ball and then sights it by working with the sightright team. This season he has won 2 ranking events, ending almost a 7-year drought, and he has climbed back up to 7 in the rankings.

Neither player has been overly impressive throughout the tournament, but they have been good enough. Higgins has ended all of his matches very strongly, not least in the way he finished against J.Trump in QF from 9-11, and by winning his last 3 frames against K.Wilson with 2 centuries and a 98. Other than at the end of his matches his cue ball control has been a little awry, but to use the well-oiled cliché his all-round match-play has been to its usual very high standard. Williams had progressed serenely enough until the SF, without any real alarms, but had to come through a tight, tense, error strewn final session of his SF against B.Hawkins last night. It's hard to assess Williams regarding last night's SF, as Hawkins completely unravelled. Williams handled the pressure slightly better, and potted more of the important balls, but he obviously needs to improve on that level to beat Higgins - who has been at his best when the pressure has been magnified, and will have had more rest before the final begins.

The current prices are 8/13 Higgins (1.6 on here) and 6/4 Williams (2.62). While it is dangerous to rely too much on how they both played in the SF, I think Higgins will win - but as I'm still reeling from Hawkins' collapse last night I'll have to think a bit longer about it before deciding whether to back him.