John Higgins returned to snooker’s winner’s podium for the first time since September 2012.
The 39-year-old Scot beat Englishman Ben Woollaston in the final of the Welsh Open in Cardiff, securing his first tournament win since the Shanghai Masters 30 months ago with a 9-3 success.
That is a considerable wait for a man who has won the world title four times, but he looked back to his best as he got the better of final debutant Woollaston.
It was a fourth Welsh title for the Wishaw man, giving him his own personal record.
“It’s a good feeling,” Higgins told BBC Wales. “Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry have all the records sewn up so it’s good to have a little one.
“It’s been tough (his lean spell). It’s great to come out and win and to be fair, nothing went right for Ben.
“I know what it’s like to be in a first final and he will be in many more so well done to him.”
Higgins edged the afternoon session 5-3, starting out with a break of 84 and following it up with a 105.
Woollaston was dogged, though, and Higgins needed a fluke on the green to take the last frame of the session and a lead into the evening.
It was routine for him in the race to nine after that and he can now celebrate being a winner again.
“I’ve always been the sort of player where after a high comes a low,” he said.
“That kept me going. I’ve been on a low the last couple of years but you have to keep on believing there’s a high round the corner.
“I have another high and hopefully I can keep it going for a while.”
Higgins reached the final with a 6-4 semi-final victory over Belgian Luca Brecel on Saturday.
Woolaston had ended Mark Williams’ hopes of ending a four-year wait for a ranking title, edging through 6-5.