John Higgins Makes 146 Ranking Quarter-Finals in Snooker

147 is a magical number in snooker and over the years John Higgins has hit many maximums. The Wizard of Wishaw has, in fact, hit 13 breaks of 147 in competitive action, placing him second behind Ronnie O’Sullivan, who has made 15. Higgins last achieved the feat in February of 2024 and he is showing incredible longevity in a game where players generally tail off in their late 30s, if not younger.

Whilst the Scot is second to the Rocket in terms of career maximums, he recently drew level with him in terms of another, less commented-upon metric. Both of these great players are now tied on 146 ranking-event quarter-finals. It is a rather niche stat in some regards and comparisons are not necessarily fair, as there are far more ranking events played nowadays than used to be the case.

Initially rankings were based solely on the World Championship with the 1974 tournament often considered to be the first ranking event. Over time a few other events were added but there were still just five ranking events in 1984. By 1989 we had reached double figures but this was not sustained and a figure of eight or nine was typical for much of the decade.

However, over the past decade we have seen that jump considerably, to between 17 and 20 most years since 2016, with 18 taking place in 2024. Perhaps we have digressed here, though, so whether historical comparisons are valid or not, Higgins’ achievement in making it to the last eight in a staggering 146 ranking events really is something.

50 and Flourishing

Comeback complete ✅

John Higgins is through to his 146th ranking quarter-final after battling back from 4-2 down against Zhou Yuelong 💪#WorldOpen pic.twitter.com/psIRUrKg99

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) February 26, 2025

Higgins is actually 49-years-young, but 50 sounds better and he’ll be there soon enough, reaching his half-century on the 18th of May 2025. The final of the 2025 World Snooker Championships is scheduled to take place on the 5th of May and what an early birthday present to himself it would be if Higgins could claim the title for the fifth time.

His last win was back in 2011 but he made the final most recently in 2019, losing to Judd Trump. That was actually his third World Championship final in a row and, of course, his third consecutive defeat in the biggest clash of all. Higgins has won the title four times and been a losing finalist on four occasions as well and it certainly isn’t impossible that he can add to his tally.

At an age when many players have long since seen their game become uncompetitive, the incredible Higgins remains a force to be reckoned with. He is not the player he once was, of course, but he remains inside the top 16 in the world and can still mix it with anyone.

His record-tying quarter final appearance came at the World Open in China after he beat home player Zhou Yuelong 5-4 in the last 16. He showed there is still plenty of fight in the old dog too as he fought back from 4-2 down, rattling in decisive breaks of 60, 74 and 72 to take the last three frames. Considering he was ill too it was impressive stuff and he clearly retains the hunger that is essential to keep performing at this level. And indeed the hunger to push himself to practice enough to remain competitive.

O’Sullivan is a little younger – and we do mean a little, as he will also turn 50 this year – but whether he can match Higgins’ determination to press on remains to be seen. Both are highly likely to reach 147 quarter finals in time, which would be a fitting landmark, though both will probably press on from there and seek to reach 150 and more.

Higgins said: I’m proud to still be going. I still love competing out there and I’d dearly love to win a big event. That’s what I’m trying my hardest to do.” He also noted that making the 147 would be special, commenting that “One more to go to 147 would be nice.” For now though his focus will be on reaching another semi final and it is another Chinese player that stands in his way. Pang Junxu will be up next, a player who will hope to move into the top 16 in the years ahead after being named the Rookie of the Year in 2021.

Ranking Event Wins

Whilst Higgins may have drawn level with O’Sullivan when it comes to making it through to the last eight of the events that matter, on the more important metric of ranking event titles, he trails the Rocket by some distance. O’Sullivan has an incredible haul of 41 titles which is even more amazing when we consider they span the vast period between 1993 and 2024.

The Wishaw cueman is third on the all-time list with 31, is his last triumph back in 2021, which suggests that the World Championship title in 2025 could be beyond him. He may well add to his tally though before he hangs up his cue and heads into retirement, whenever that might be. However, in terms of his place in the historic pecking order, he is probably looking at the man just below him, rather than the one above him.

It is the sensational Stephen Hendry that lies second, with 36 ranking titles in his career between 1987 and 2005. Hendry’s silverware haul is all the more formidable given, as said, there were generally far fewer ranking tournaments played each season during much of his career. Moreover, among those 36, the groundbreaking – and break-building – Scott boasts an incredible seven World Championships, six Masters titles and five UK Championships.

The man chasing Higgins’ tally is Judd Trump, a much younger player who has found racking up the ranking-event wins easier than the others on the leaderboard due to the proliferation of ranking tournaments that are played these days. Trump has 30 to his name and is just 35 years old. Higgins’ wins span 28 years, whereas Trump’s have come between 2011 and 2024, and if the Bristolian stays competitive into his 40s he will surely move up the rankings and, potentially, overtake even the Rocket.

That, of course, is all for the future. For now, let us celebrate Higgins: 146 and counting!