John Higgins explains what has changed during his brilliant return to form

John Higgins is a different animal to just a couple of months ago (Picture: Getty Images)

John Higgins is feeling relaxed and playing with a mental clarity which he had lost for some time before regaining it by winning the World Open in March.

The Wizard of Wishaw won his 32nd ranking title by beating Joe O’Connor in the final in Yushan, ending a four-year wait to add to his collection.

The Scot lost five ranking finals during that title drought and suffered some painful defeats as he tossed away leads and was beaten in deciding frames.

His belief and confidence was damaged pretty severely, but that success at the World Open has done wonders to heal those wounds, with the impact clear on the table.

Since that title in China, Higgins made a quarter-final of the World Grand Prix, semi-final of the Players Championship and then won the Tour Championship, beating Mark Selby in some style in the final.

Asked what the difference is now to just two months ago when he was struggling to land titles, he said: ‘I think maybe [I was] weak mentally. That was the difference.

‘Now I feel a lot more relaxed. It was as if I was striving. I was lunging to try and win an event. Then as I was getting there I was running out of steam. I was finding the pressure.

Higgins got the better of Joe O’Connor in round one (Picture: Getty Images)

‘I’ve had a lot of tough moments in the past few years so when you’re winning it’s a great feeling to be involved in these big events.’

On how he feels as the winning line approaches now, the four-time world champion explained: ‘I just feel calmer. My thought process and my thinking is a lot clearer.

‘It’s as if time’s standing still a little bit again like it was a few years ago when you were winning big events.

‘If I’m being honest the last two or three years my mind was going like a waltzer. I was thinking “what am I going to do here?” I can’t see patterns, it was getting difficult. It’s better now.

Higgins was brilliant in winning the Tour Championship earlier this month (Picture: Getty Images)

‘I was looking for problems to see what I would be missing instead of how to go about the break to win.

‘It’s been a good shift in the last few months. I’ve got a bit more inner belief from what’s happened the past few months and that’s making decisions come a bit easier.’

Higgins beat Joe O’Connor 10-7 in his opening round and begins his clash with Xiao Guodong in the last 16 on Thursday evening, finishing on Saturday.