JOHN HIGGINS reached the final of the 888.com World Championship yesterday - after admitting to going on the wagon in an attempt to get his game back into shape.
Higgins, the 1998 champion and runner-up to Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2001, overturned fellow Scot Stephen Maguire's 14-10 overnight lead to win 17-15 and go through to today's best of 35 frames shoot-out for the first prize of £220,000.
The 31-year-old Higgins, who will top the rankings next season if he wins here at the Crucible, produced some of his best snooker after suffering a bad day at the office on Friday afternoon when he won only two of the eight frames played.
Higgins' decision to quit drinking came last summer after he had been thrown off a passenger jet along with former world champion Ken Doherty.
The night before he had lost 9-8 to the Irishman in the final of the Malta Cup. "I enjoy a drink, but the trouble is I didn't know when to stop," said Higgins.
"I would watch Celtic at the weekend, drop in to the local for a drink and it might not be until the Tuesday that I returned to practice. I feel much better for quitting."
Higgins produced a brace of centuries to take his total during the tournament to nine as he outstayed his friend and practice partner.
The semi-final took over 11 hours to complete with a 52-minute frame on Friday going to Maguire. It was the second longest of the Championship.
The only success for Maguire yesterday was frame 28 - in three others he did not pot a ball.
"I've not come back a lot of times in my career and that's what I was trying to block out of my mind," added Higgins.
Maguire said: "I had sensed that John's best game was just around the corner. Now I hope he goes on and wins, not just for himself but for Scotland."
Higgins missed out on a maximum break for the second time at the Championship when he stopped on 104 in frame 26 - as far as he got in his first-round match against Michael Holt.
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JONATHAN PEARCE
ALEC STEWART
THE MOLE