Higgins could never get away from his younger rival having led 5-4 at the interval, and it was Wilson who found an extra gear in the evening to land the title in Nanjing.

Wilson produced a half-century or better in all bar one of the evening session's nine frames, including two centuries, to deny Higgins a place in the history books as the oldest winner of a ranking event.

Higgins had also been seeking to become the first player to win a title in his 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, but that will have to wait after Wilson came out on top to register back-to-back titles after his victory in Belfast.

The Warrior is just the 16th player to win successive events on the World Snooker Tour, his reward for this one a winner's cheque for £175,000.

More to follow