In a truly remarkable story of hard work, endurance, talent and dedication, the pair are still at the top of the sport three decades on and will go head-to-head in the last 16 on Saturday.
Thirty years on from that first memorable meeting, O’Sullivan has seven world titles, Higgins has four, both having long cemented their positions as two of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.
“We deserve a great pat on the back,” added Higgins, who admitted he never thought he would still be playing so well at this age.
Higgins and O’Sullivan are both now 50, while they are joined in the last 16 by the third member of snooker’s fabled ‘Class of 92’, with 51-year-old Mark Williams still in contention for a fourth title.
O’Sullivan holds the record for being the oldest world champion after his most recent success four years ago, aged 46, but that could be beaten in the next week and a half.
After that first meeting in 1996, Higgins beat O’Sullivan 17-9 in the 1998 semi-finals on his way to his first title, before the Rocket got his revenge, winning 18-14 in the 2001 final for his first championship.
Higgins then gained 13-9 and 13-10 wins in the quarter-finals of 2007 and 2011 respectively, before O’Sullivan won their most recent Crucible tie, 17-11 in the 2022 semi-finals.
They have played six times at the famous Sheffield theatre, with three wins apiece.