Anyone who watched yesterday's thrilling final in Telford, cannot accuse snooker of being a boring anymore. Just like the good old days, a tense finish made for stellar viewing, as it captured the excitement of a large television audience. It was everything I love about snooker.
There's only one type of match that creates such a frenzy. It's close finishes. Players can score as many century breaks as they want, and they sure did at this year's UK Championship.
But nothing quite captures the imagination of the viewing public like a deciding frame, or a close-fought finish.
We've been spoilt with them over the last week in Telford too. But the best of them all was saved for the final, as John Higgins battled back from 9-5 down to beat Mark Williams 10-9. It was a comeback of all comebacks.
Because of the excitement factor alone, I enjoyed every moment of it. But even this morning, snooker was standing proud. Picking up the newspapers was an absolute joy. It was refreshing to read about snooker for all the right reasons. Over the last couple of years , snooker has been dragged through the gutter.But last night, it won back some of its reputation. Barry Hearn has spiced up the sport since taking over the reins, and we saw some of the fruits of his labour in this fine tournament.
I'm not naive to think the comeback is complete,and that snooker is back in its heyday. The re-building process is still in its infancy, but great steps have been made, and transition is underway.
It's rather fitting as well that the two player's who competed in this milestone final, are enjoying comebacks of their own too last.
It's been well-documented the ongoing battle Higgins has been fighting since being accused of serious match fixing allegations back in May.
He's had to fight tooth and nail to clear his name, but in some people's eyes, he's still a guilty man. On the baize though, his comeback has been sensational. He's played in three competitions since completing his six-month ban for bringing the sport into disrepute. He's made the final of every event, and won two of them. Only Michael Holt has beaten him.
His return has almost been flawless. And last night, he hinted that his latest triumph, a third UK title, was maybe the most special moment in his vastly successful career.
Whether you're a Higgins fan or not, you cannot deny he's shown tremendous bottle. And based on this, it's easy to see why he's regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.Runner-up Williams will see his route to the UK final as a marker of his dramatic comeback too.
The former world number one and two-time world champion has endured a rollercoastser of a journey on the circuit in recent seasons.
Earlier in the decade, he was being tipped to dominate the sport. But just a couple of years later he tumbled to a provisional world ranked number 47.
Climbing the rankings a second time is always deemed the tougher task, but it doesn't seem to have deterred talented Williams.
The Welshman has simply rolled his sleeves up, hit the practice tables some six or seven hours a day, and now he's back up to world number three, right in their with the big boys.
Winning the UK title would have been the icing on the cake of a stunning resurgence, but just to be back in the sport's major finals, shows how far Williams has come.
Higgins, Williams and the game of snooker have all showed their fighting spirit this week. That's why I'll always remember this tournament, as the comeback competition.
The 2010 UK Championship - one to cherish!
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