Higginson still buzzing

A 1000/1 shot before the start of the tournament, Higginson was leading Australia's Neil Robertson 8-6 in the final after storming back from 6-2 down, before eventually losing 9-8.

"The highs outweigh the lows by about a million to one," Higginson told his local newspaper the Widnes Weekly News.

"If it never happens again or it happens every time, I will look back on it for the rest of my life.

"History proves that when somebody does well in a competition, they are riding that much of a high that it is hard to come back down to earth.

"I'd like to think I haven't left earth but at the same time, I can still feel a buzz."

Higginson picked out his quarter-final victory over Ali Carter as the moment when he really felt that he had made it to the big time.

"I have made 10 or 12 maximum breaks in practice but to do so in front of so many people and in only my third match on TV against one of the top-16 players, in the quarter-final of a ranking tournament was absolute insanity.

"I was trembling so much afterwards, I had to get up and leave the arena to regain my composure."

Higginson will face a bump back to reality on Monday when he begins his qualification campaign for the World Championships.

The Englishman has to win four matches before he even makes it to Sheffield, with his opening encounter being against Mark Boyle.