JOHN HIGGINS won five frames in a row to beat Mark Selby 10-8 in the Tour Championship final for what he described as the best win of his long career.
Selby had earlier won seven frames in succession to move within two of victory, but Higgins dug in and restricted his opponent to just 18 points in the final five frames.
"It is my best ever win," said Higgins, who ended a four-year wait for a ranking title at last month's World Open in China.
"I was playing an unbelievable champion and he was looking like he was not going to miss, he was tying me up in knots.
"To do that against Mark gives me incredible belief that I can still mix it with the best players."
The battle between a pair of four-time world champions had seen them split the opening two frames - Selby making a break of 135 in the second.
Higgins hit two breaks of 102 and another of 94 as he seized control in the afternoon session, leading 5-1 before Selby hit back with breaks of 112 and 136 to finish the session.
He continued the momentum into the evening, a break of 119 in the 13th frame taking him 8-5 ahead.
But Higgins responded with a 110 break in the next and fought his way to parity before clinching victory with breaks of 84 and 132.
The eighth and final century of the match equalled the record for a best-of-19 frame final.
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Following his defeat, beaten finalist Selby graciously said of his opponent: "He's incredible, isn't he? That's why he's an all-time great. The way he played from 8-5 was incredible.
"That was brutal from 8-5. My head was spinning some of the things that was going on.
"But taking nothing away from John, like I say every time he got his chance today he punished me.
"I put it to him at 8-5 and he stood up like a warrior that he is."
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