'Celtic win made it dream day' – John Higgins savours Glasgow derby glory after reaching Championship League final group

John Higgins celebrated an unbeaten performance at the Championship League on Wednesday as his football team Celtic demolished Rangers 3-0 in the Glasgow derby to go top of the Scottish Premiership. Higgins held off Ding Junhui 3-2 in the Group Seven final after a 3-1 win over defending champion Kyren Wilson in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

Ad/> Higgins through to winners group after unbeaten day in the Championship League O'Sullivan suffers more Championship League pain as Higgins continues rampant form O'Sullivan and Trump to meet in blockbuster clash at Players Championship Championship LeagueThree defeats for O'Sullivan in Championship LeagueYESTERDAY AT 13:00 Breaks of 62 and 77 saw the four-time world champion recover from losing the first frame to Wilson in the last four before opening with a sparkling run of 134 in the final. The former UK and Masters winner Ding contributed 101 and 131 in forcing the decider that the Scotsman edged on the colours.

Higgins joins Graeme Dott, Zhao Xintong, Scott Donaldson, Stuart Bingham,Yan Bingtao and Liang Wenbo in the final winners' group on Thursday and Friday. “It was brilliant to make matters sweeter I heard Celtic are beating Rangers 3-0.

What a day it has been," said Higgins, who enjoyed earlier wins over Wilson (3-1), Martin Gould (3-1) and Ding (3-2) to finish second behind Ali Carter in reaching the last four. «I thought it was good in patches, but in the end we were both a bit edgy.

/> »I can’t believe I missed the yellow but then I got safe and then I thought Ding’s double was in but it was in the knuckles. «It was brilliant to come down and win this final.” Higgins is due to face fellow Scotsman Dott and German Masters winner Zhao in his first two group matches from