John Higgins told one of his biggest strengths is now a weakness as Wizard’s key issue pinpointed

Stephen Hendry believes John Higgins can still win snooker's biggest events - if he stops making mistakes in deciding frames.

The Wizard of Wishaw was dumped out the Masters in January at the first round, as Neil Robertson staged a remarkable comeback to win 6-5 from 5-1 down. His Welsh Open was an improvement, as he didn't drop a frame before a quarter-final loss to eventual winner Mark Selby. However the four-time world champion hasn't won a ranking event since the 2021 Players' Championship and has now dropped to 13th in the world rankings.

Hendry believes that Higgins could still win some major silverware, if he can keep his cool during deciding frames - after some the defeats against Robertson and Selby. Hendry told the Snooker Club podcast: "John Higgins just cannot win a decider. It’s unbelievable. To think it was probably one of his biggest strengths down the years, winning deciding frames and doing it in one visit. It’s incredible. He just can’t win a decider.

"And it’s that little hurdle that he’s got to cross and there could still be wins for John Higgins. But he’s failing at the final hurdle at the moment. He’s come up against some great performances. Judd Trump at the UK Championships made a fabulous break and Higgins made a tricky one.

"It’s an old cliche that you get a chance, but if you don’t take that chance then one mistake can cost you. That’s the brutality. In a decider one mistake usually costs you. At the the start of a match you can make a few mistakes. But in a decider one mistake can cost you, and it’s costing him every time."

Speaking after his decider defeat to world No.1 Judd Trump at the UK Championships, Higgins said: "Judd probably has that confidence that he will clear up in a decider like