John Higgins says he has gained more respect for legendary Crucible nearly man Jimmy White following his World Snooker Championship final defeat to Mark Williams.
Higgins lost 18-16 to Williams on Monday despite mounting a sensational fightback, finishing as runner-up for the second year in a row - Mark Selby the winner last time around.
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White has famously never won the world title, despite reaching the final on six occasions, including a run of five consecutive defeats - four of them to Stephen Hendry - from 1990 to 1994.
And, while Higgins can look back on four successful campaigns in Sheffield, the pain of losing consecutive finals has given him a new appreciation of the heartbreak felt by White a quarter of a century ago.
"Although I had an unbelievable amount of respect for Jimmy White as a player, for him to come back six times, lose six finals and still be a class act on and off the table," he said.
"That's me lost in two finals in a row and it's heartbreaking.
"But for him to do that, I can only imagine what he went through, coming back every year and going again. It's tough."
Higgins closed from 14-7 to 15-15 in what will go down as one of the Crucible's all-time great finals and says he has no reason to be unhappy with his performance.
"I wasn't giving in easily, and even when Mark was closing me out at 14-7, I wasn't really getting clear-cut chances and missing easy chances," he added.
"I was getting little half chances and I was breaking down and then Mark was clinical in punishing me.
"So I wasn't getting too down on myself at 14-7. I was still upbeat about my game and then luckily it changed round and Mark missed a few times at 50 or 60 in front and I managed to clear up and that got me back in the game.
"It's like a drug this game and that atmosphere tonight, that one-table setup in the Crucible; if I never get there again, at least I can say I've been there a few times to sample it. It's amazing."
