SHOCK DEFEATS MOVE HIGGINS CLOSER TO TITLE
BY NEIL GOULDING JOHN HIGGINS wants to make experience count to claim a fifth World Championship.
The stars are aligning for the Scot to make it a special 20th anniversary of his first Crucible crown.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, the pre-tournament favourite, and defending champion Mark Selby have both crashed out in Sheffield along with three former Crucible winners.
Wishaw potter Higgins is one of just two world champions left in the event alongside Mark Williams who sealed his place last night by beating Robert Milkins 13-7.
Higgins said: “I know how tough it is mentally near the end of the tournament.
“I ran out of mental stamina in the final last year and having an extra day off could be massive in the context of things.”
Higgins hammered young gun Jack Lisowski 13-1 in the second round with a session to spare.
And the scintillating form the on-song Scot has shown has him as second favourite to pocket the £425,000 first prize next Monday.
He said: “My game is in decent shape so hopefully that will stand me in good stead. I’d dearly love to catch Ronnie winning five world titles. That would be an amazing dream.”
In the betting Higgins is behind Chinese star Ding Junhui who has dropped just seven frames.
But despite the draw opening up with a lot of big names eliminated the 42-year-old isn’t getting carried away ahead with a long way to go before he can get his hands on the title.
He said: “Mark was a big favourite, he lost and was in my half of the draw.
“That’s a big hole as he’s won in three of the last four years but top guys going out doesn’t diminish how difficult it will be.
“If I win my quarter-final I’ve got either Mark Allen or Kyren Wilson who played in the Masters final, It doesn’t get any tougher.
“But I’m just focused on the quarter-finals and we’ll see what happens.”
Scot Anthony McGill was put out of his misery as Chinese superstar Ding wrapped up a crushing 13-4 win yesterday.
McGill said: “I’d like to see John go and win it now. A fifth would be amazing.”
Higgins will take on Judd Trump in a repeat of the famous 2011 final, where the Scot prevailed 18-15.
The Juddernaught reeled off five frames on the spin to down Ricky Walden 13-9 to reach a fifth quarter-final.
Trump said: “I’ll have to play the best match of my life to beat John, he won’t roll over.”