Higgins Crushes O’Connor in Opening Session, Takes Commanding 6-2 Lead in World Open Final

John Higgins took a commanding 6-2 lead over Joe O’Connor in the first session of the 2025 World Open final in Yushan, putting himself in prime position to claim his long-awaited 32nd ranking title. The 49-year-old Scot, who has not won a ranking event since defeating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the 2021 Players Championship final, delivered a near-flawless performance, capitalizing on almost every opportunity that came his way.

Higgins started strongly, quickly asserting his dominance with breaks of 52, 82, and 62 to race into a 3-0 lead. O’Connor, playing in just the second ranking final of his career and still searching for his maiden title, managed to halt Higgins’ momentum by taking the fourth frame before the mid-session interval. However, any hopes of a comeback were dealt a crushing blow in the very next frame.

O’Connor had a golden opportunity to close the gap further when he constructed a break of 61, leaving himself needing only the black and one more red to secure the frame. But a costly miss on the black allowed Higgins to step in, and the four-time world champion showed his trademark composure by producing a brilliant 63 to steal the frame and extend his advantage to 4-1.

That setback seemed to rattle the Englishman, who then squandered chances in the next two frames. Higgins punished his opponent’s errors with breaks of 68 and 70, stretching his lead to 6-1 and tightening his grip on the match.

However, just when it seemed Higgins was set to completely overwhelm O’Connor, he made a rare mistake in the final frame of the session. Over-screwing the cue ball into the middle pocket with the frame at his mercy, he left the door open for O’Connor. It took the Englishman multiple visits to finally clear up, but he managed to clinch the frame and reduce his deficit to 6-2—offering a glimmer of hope heading into the second session.

With Higgins in complete control, O’Connor faces a massive challenge if he is to turn things around. The Scot has demonstrated his vast experience and ruthless efficiency, while the Englishman must find a way to cut out his errors and seize any chances that come his way.