Exclusive: Legend John Higgins says Jack Lisowski's Time Will Come

Snooker legend John Higgins believes the “floodgates will open” for Jack Lisowski once the talented potter lands his first title.

Undisputed all-time great Higgins, a decorated four-time world champion, believes the standard of the sport is the highest it has ever been. 

Crowd pleaser Lisowski, 33, is still searching for his big breakthrough and is in the argument of ‘best player not to win a ranking event’. But the Cheltenham cueman has time on his side. 

There have been painful near misses in six ranking finals where he has come up against the likes of best mate Judd Trump (three times), Neil Robertson — the most decorated overseas player ever — (twice) and four-time world champion Mark Selby. 

Higgins, 49, told SportsBoom.com: “Listen, Jack should have been born 30 years ago and he’d be sat on ten ranking titles by now."

“I was speaking to Jack and the amount of breaks people are making now, that was unheard of even when I was at the top of the game. Back then there were only a handful on players, five or six, who were capable of doing that."

“Now it’s 30 or 40 people. It’s tough being a professional snooker player now."

“It will happen for guys like Jack. He’s just got to keep believing because he’s got the game and got the talent. The door will open for someone like that and when it does happen the floodgates will start.”

A GOLDEN AGE FOR THE SPORT

This season has been dominated by runaway world No.1 Trump and current world champion Kyren Wilson. 

Ace in the Pack Trump has pocketed three titles, including adding a second UK Championship to his major haul, whilst Wilson beat Trump in the Xi’an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open finals.

Mark Allen, who won six events in the past two seasons heading into the current campaign, also returned to form as he banked the £250,000 top prize at last week’s Riyadh Season Snooker Championship. 

The famous Class of '92 trio of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Higgins and Mark Williams, who won last season's Champion of Champions, are still all competing in the elite top 16.

When asked about the current landscape of the sport, Higgins added: “Kyren and Judd could be the big rivalry, but it could change so quickly."

“Those two guys will be competing against each other for the next few years, but then you’ve got a lot of the good young Chinese boys."

“And you’ve got Mark Allen still there and you can never write off Mark Selby, Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy, they’re all unbelievable champions."

“I think in the next ten years the Class of ’92 will be past it, but I’m sure the other boys will be competing and new rivalries will be made."

“I think guys like Selby and Robertson and Murphy in the band behind me age wise they get easily overlooked. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. People think the Class of ’92 and then guys like Judd and Kyren."

“You’ve got three guys there who are among the best to ever pick up a cue and I know because I’ve played them at their best. They’re incredible."

“For them to still be winning, competing and winning big titles they’re unbelievable players."

“Then you’ve got the next brigade of players of Judd, Kyren and Jack Lisowski’s due a win.”