IT COULD BE FRAME OVER FOR HIGGINS

Scot will consider hanging up his cue for good if he drops out of the top 16

- NEIL GOULDING

JOHN HIGGINS has revealed he could quit snooker if he falls out of the elite top 16 next season. 

The 47-year-old Scot saw his dreams of a magical fifth World Championship, 25 years on from his first, shattered 13-7 by Mark Selby in the quarter-finals.

World No.11 Higgins endured a miserable season by his own high standards with his run to the last eight only his second quarter-final appearance.

He has over £300,000 in prize money to defend next term and another poor campaign could see him plummet out of the top 16 for the first time since 1995.

Higgins had hammered David Grace 10-3 then Kyren Wilson 13-2 with a session to spare, which included an 8-0 whitewashed first session. But he said: “It’s been a poor season, there’s no getting away from it.

“I’ll definitely have to come back next year and produce a better standard and have a better season.