Former world snooker champion Ken Doherty said he has not witnessed John Higgins play any better in his career after the Scot stormed his way into the Players Championship final in utterly dominant fashion.

Four-times world champion Higgins extended his superb run of form, thrashing Kyren Wilson 6-1 with another impressive display in front of the ITV cameras.

The Scot has only lost one frame in the competition so far – against Wilson – following 6-0 whitewash wins against Jordan Brown and Mark Selby.

Today, Higgins will play his long-time rival Ronnie O’Sullivan for the Players Championship trophy and a cheque for £125,000. It will be the pair’s first meeting in a major ranking event final since 2005.

Higgins’ recent transformation in form has come following the development of a small change to his cue action which sees him being much closer to the cue ball when striking it than he was previously.

And the new technique is certainly working after reaching both the Masters and Players Championship final so far in 2021.

Speaking after Higgins completed another demolition job on Wilson, who just scored seven points in the first four frames, Ken Doherty was full of praise for his close friend.

Doherty said on ITV4: “In all the times I’ve been playing I’ve never seen John play so well.

“He’s got that trigger of enthusiasm and sometimes when you get that trigger of enthusiasm it excites you. He’s playing with lots of excitement – it’s like a kid with a new toy.

“And he doesn’t want anyone else to play on the table, he just wants to have it all himself because he is enjoying it so much and that’s why he is playing so well.”

Featured image: Monique Limbos