NEW world champion John Higgins is toasting double success after being officially crowned the best player on the planet.

The Wishaw star's return to form at this year's 888.com World Championship in Sheffield has catapulted him back to the ranking's summit.

Higgins, who defeated Leicester qualifier Mark Selby 18-13 in this year's Crucible final, was last world number one in the 1999- 2000 season.

But it has taken the Scot over seven years to get back to the top after a few barren spells, although he has never fallen out of the elite top 16, which guarantees automatic qualification for tournaments.

In doing so the 31-year-old becomes only the fifth player ever to have regained the number one ranking. Fellow countryman Stephen Hendry, a seven-time Crucible winner, and former world champions Ray Reardon, Mark Williams and Ronnie O'- Sullivan are the only other players to have lost the number one mantle and regained it.

It's a great honour to be world number one again,'' said Higgins, who was odds-on favourite to beat Selby in Monday's best-of-35 frame showcase having opening up a commanding eight-frame cushion after the opening two sessions.

I was very successful last season, but during the last few years the number one spot seems to have eluded me.

I've always wanted to get back to number one, but it's taken a lot of hard work and commitment to get back there.

It would be fantastic if I can win the World Championship as well, that would make up for not having the best of seasons.'' No fewer than nine players stood a chance to be number one before this year's 17-day tournament got under way at snooker's 'Theatre of Dreams' 18 days ago.

But seven of those players, including O'Sullivan, defending champion Graeme Dott and Hendry all fell by the wayside as the pressure to get to the top took its toll.

Australia's Neil Robertson, Chinese sensation Ding Junhui, Ken Doherty and current UK champion Peter Ebdon also dropped out of the race as Higgins and Selby were left to battle it out for the top prize.

You work so hard to get somewhere in life, you come into a little bit of money and you just got out and enjoy yourself. I was guilty of that, but I think now I'm playing better than ever,'' added Higgins, who knocked Hendry off top spot.

I've knuckled down a lot these last few years and worked hard on my game. I'm a family man and I know I'll never be as dominant as I once was, but I still feel I can win a lot more tournaments, I've still got a lot to offer snooker.'' Larkhall's Dott led the provisional rankings when he arrived at the Crucible, but his firstround exit against Preston's Ian McCulloch means that he finishes at number two - his highest career ranking.

Rotherham's Shaun Murphy could have wrestled the top spot from Higgins by winning the tournament but his agonising 17- 16 semi-final defeat to Selby leaves him at number three. Doherty is next followed by O' Sullivan, who drops out of the top four for the first time in a decade.