John Higgins of Scotland celebrates with his family after winning his final match against Judd Trump of England in the 2011 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, England, May 2, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

* Higgins holds off Trump 18-15 in final

LONDON - Scotland's John Higgins beat Judd Trump of England 18-15 on Monday to win the world snooker championship for the fourth time.

Higgins held off the exuberant 21-year-old Trump who had lit up the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield with brilliant potting in his bid to become the youngest world champion since Stephen Hendry in 1990.

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Trump led 10-7 overnight but Higgins won six frames in the afternoon to edge 13-12 ahead and he remained in control of the match in the evening session to clinch the title.

The 35-year-old Higgins, world champion in 1998, 2007 and 2009, returned to the sport in November after serving a six-month suspension for bringing the game into disrepute.

He was at the centre of allegations of match-fixing which were reported during last year's world championship.

Higgins was later cleared of match-fixing but received his ban for not reporting an illegal approach to discuss throwing matches.

"It has been amazing, an unbelievable 12 months," he told BBC television.

"It was really tough match-play today. I knew I had to come into the afternoon session and play great and I think I did that to get back into the match and make Judd think a little bit.

"He was the better player. He was playing a brand of snooker I have never seen before in my life. It was unbelievable the amount of long shots he was potting, it was incredible.

"It was great to watch - we have got the new sensation of the game," Higgins said of Trump.

Judd Trump of England reacts for a miss during his final match against John Higgins of Scotland in the 2011 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, England, May 2, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]