The tension of the World Snooker championship final was at its nerve-shredding, teeth-clenching, seat-gripping best last night, as Mark Selby made a comeback to withstand one from opponent John Higgins to eventually close it out, meaning Selby is just the fourth man to defend the crown at the Crucible.
Selby turned on they style in the final frame after twelve tense hours of play, although that atmosphere was briefly suspended on a couple of occasions as laughter rang out through the Crucible. Granted, a snooker crowd are a pretty easy laugh - they crave anything to cut through the atmosphere (it's like a twelve-hour long dinner at your mother-in-law's house) - but contrary to the winner's nickname, it proved to be runner-up John Higgins who provided the comedy.
Earlier in the afternoon, he had potted the cue ball thrice in attempting to escape a snooker laid by Selby, which everyone found utterly hilarious.
And deep into the final session, in the 32nd and ultimately penultimate frame, John Higgins found himself at the table, stretching for the cue ball. Given his paunch, Higgin couldn't reach it, and he had to return to his seat to attach a cue extension. The crowd picked up on Higgins' wry smile, and laughter filtered throughout the Crucible. Once it had died down, Higgins rejoined, "Too much haggis".
Watch it below.
John Higgins
