In a really exceptional story of onerous work, endurance, expertise and dedication, the pair are nonetheless at the prime of the sport three many years later and will go head-to-head in the final 16 on Saturday.
Thirty years on from that first memorable Crucible assembly, O’Sullivan has seven world titles, Higgins has 4, each having lengthy cemented their positions as two of the biggest gamers the sport has ever seen.
“We deserve a great pat on the back,” added Higgins, who admitted he by no means thought he would nonetheless be enjoying so nicely at this age.
Higgins and O’Sullivan are each now 50, whereas they’re joined in the final 16 by the third member of snooker’s fabled ‘Class of 92’, with 51-year-old Mark Williams nonetheless in competition for a fourth title.
O’Sullivan holds the file for being the oldest world champion after his most up-to-date success 4 years in the past, aged 46, however that could possibly be crushed in the subsequent week and a half.
After that first World Championship assembly in 1996, Higgins beat O’Sullivan 17-9 in the 1998 semi-finals on his approach to his first title, earlier than the Rocket received his revenge, successful 18-14 in the 2001 closing for his first success.
Higgins then gained 13-9 and 13-10 wins in the quarter-finals of 2007 and 2011 respectively, earlier than O’Sullivan received their most up-to-date Crucible tie, 17-11 in the 2022 semi-finals.
They have performed six instances at the well-known Sheffield theatre, with three wins apiece.
