Anthony: I will be dishing out the doings this time
ANTHONY McGILL wants to avoid another drubbing at the snooker World Championship.
The Glaswegian, 27, reached the quarter-finals as a fresh-faced debutant in 2015 but was mauled 10-2 by compatriot Stephen Maguire in last year’s first round.
McGill is gunning to right that wrong on the game’s grandest stage tomorrow night but the world No.14 has his work cut out against the highest-ranked qualifier in Welshman Ryan Day.
McGill said: “Last year I got a doing from Stephen. At least now I know the other side of it.
“My first couple of years at the Crucible I did quite well. Bearing in mind I was a qualifier and the qualifiers aren’t expected to win.
“It was all good but now I know what it’s like to get a doing there and it’s not nice. I didn’t enjoy it one bit. It’s a tough place when you’re getting hammered.
“Stephen’s a great player so there’s no shame in losing to him but the manner in which I lost was tough. I’ll be trying to put that right this year.”
Fellow Scot John Higgins kicks off his charge for a fifth Sheffield crown tomorrow against debutant Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
Meanwhile, the shocks continued as 2005 world champ Shaun Murphy was beaten 10-9 by Welsh qualifier Jamie Jones.
Murphy followed Mark Selby and Marco Fu as the third seed to bow out but Mark Allen eased into round two with a 10-5 win over debutant Liam Highfield.