Expect more jumpy shots
Higgins admits he’ll be nervous playing in front of Crucible fans again
JOHN HIGGINS reckons he’ll be a bag of nerves when he plays in front of fans again at snooker’s Theatre of Dreams.
The Wizard of Wishaw is gunning for a magical fifth World Championship crown at the iconic Crucible in Sheffield.
This year’s tournament is being used as a pilot event for the return of spectators.
A third of the capacity 980-seater venue will be full for the first round and fans will gradually increase during the event, with a packed house allowed for the showpiece.
Higgins last pocketed the game’s biggest prize a decade ago but the Scot has reached three of the last four finals.
He said: “Everyone will be just that little bit more nervous because the crowds will be in.
“Everyone’s going to want to put on a show for them. It’s going to be a really special tournament for everyone involved.
“Even last year I still felt the butterflies because you’re playing at the Crucible in a great arena. It’ll hit people this year because we have been out of the swing of things with fans there.”
The Tartan trio of Higgins, former UK champion Stephen Maguire and 30-yearold Anthony McGill discovered their firstround opponents in yesterday’s live draw.
World No.5 Higgins locks horns with Tian Pengfei after the Chinese cueman knocked Scot Graeme Dott, the 2006 champ, out in the final round of qualifying.
And it will be an emotional moment for Pengfei, who is making only his second Crucible appearance, after spending three tough months in self-isolation just to play at the event. Higgins starts his Crucible challenge against the world No.53 on Sunday before playing to a finish the following afternoon.
The all-conquering Scot is desperate to put his heartache at the sport’s spiritual home behind him after losing to Mark Selby, Mark Williams and Judd Trump with the trophy on the line.
But Higgins will once again walk on to the big stage as one of the leading contenders after a vintage display to win the Players Championship at the end of February, his first major crown in three years.
Glaswegian potter McGill, who reached the semi-finals last season, will begin his quest for a maiden world title against Ricky Walden.
That mouth-watering best-of-19 frames clash starts on Sunday morning and will conclude the following night.
Milton potter Maguire, twice in the final four here, has drawn Welsh qualifier Jamie Jones. It will be Jones’ first tie back on the big stage since a one-year ban, having been cleared of match fixing but admitting to failing to report a corrupt approach.
Maguire, who has fallen at the first hurdle in seven of the last 10 years, will kick off his bid tomorrow afternoon and is expected to have a moment’s silence for the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, whose funeral is at 3pm.
He said: “My first-round record is terrible but four out of five years I lost 10-9 after I fought from behind then lost the decider.”