Alex Higgins

Alexander Gordon Higgins (born 18 March 1949 in Belfast, † July 24, 2010 ) was a Northern Irish snooker player.

Career

From a young age began Higgins snooker and won in 1968, the Irish and Northern Irish amateur snooker championships. At 22, he turned pro and just a year later, in 1972, he won the World Snooker Championship. At that time he was the youngest winner of the World Cup to date; 1990, this record of Stephen Hendry was undercut.

The Snooker world rankings was not yet introduced; than 1976/77 happened, he was initially set on second place ( as Acting Vice World Champion). 1978 and 1981 he won the prestigious Masters, traditionally, however, is not a world ranking tournament. During this time, therefore, he slipped in the world rankings from something until in 1982 he again won the World Cup (18-15 in the final against Ray Reardon ) and so again climbed to second place.

In 1989 he won the Irish Masters, another big tournament, which at that time, however, still held no world ranking status which his world title in 1982 remain his only victory at a world ranking tournament.

His eye-catching game methods earned him the nickname "Hurricane Higgins ", and increased his popularity. During his games drank and he smoked a lot. Like many of his colleagues, he also campaigned for cigarette brands. Later he was suffering from throat cancer.

Higgins played conspicuously to his playing days always with an open collar, while the other players wore at the time favored compulsory tie. He had let himself be a therapeutic use exemption for this entry.

His unorthodox style of play is best illustrated in his '69 -break against Jimmy White in the penultimate frame of the semi-finals of the World Cup 1982. Experts, players and fans often describe it as one of the greatest breaks, that has ever been played under so much pressure. With the score at 14:15 frames Higgins was in the current frame back with 59 points, so that White would have served a single Red to secure the 16:14 and thus the final. Several red balls lay on the boards and so hindered the clearance.

He also managed a maximum break of 147 points, which however has been played before today approved list has been introduced.

Higgins was found dead on July 24, 2010; He died, probably already several days earlier, on the effects of cancer.

In 2011 he was inducted into the Snooker Hall of Fame.