Lots of positives for Muir from Worlds adventure

SNOOKER star Ross Muir has vowed to bounce back stronger after seeing his Crucible dream ended in heartbreaking fashion.

The Musselburgh potter reached the second round of qualifying for the World Championships, only to let slip a 7-5 lead against He Guoqiang, who went on to reach the final round of qualifying on Tuesday.

Muir launched an impressive comeback of his own in the first round of qualifying, defeating Cheung Ka Wei 10-9 after trailing 9-6 in Sheffield.

The county sportsman felt that there were positives to take from his performances, even though he did not reach the most prestigious tournament in the sport.

He said: “There is a lot I can take from the two games.

“My first-round opponent is a very good player who had just won the World Amateur Championship and is going to be a professional from the close of the World Championships.

“I felt I threw the middle part of the matches away.

“I played six very poor frames to switch my lead from 6-3 up to 9-6 down.

“But I am pretty happy how deep I dug to get that won and take a lot from that.

“I have had a few comebacks; they have been the highlight of my season.

“I came back against Hossein Vafaei in China when I was 5-2 in the first round of the International Championship to win 6-5.

“This was on a par with that as well.”

Muir’s bid to reach the main draw of the World Championships – which get under way on Saturday – for the first time was his first since regaining his place at the top table of the sport.

The 28-year-old (pictured inset) was left to rue not taking his chances in the early stages of his contest against China’s Guoqiang.

Muir led 5-2 but then lost the last two frames of the opening session to see his advantage cut to just one.

His 23-year-old opponent then produced a stunning run of form in the second session, recording six breaks of 50plus to turn the game on its head and progress to the third round, where he then ended Anthony Mcgill’s run of nine consecutive appearances at the World Championships.

Muir added: “Realistically, it should have been 7-2. “I played two poor frames.”

Muir was knocked out last Thursday but has wasted little time in getting back on the baize.

He told Courier Sport: “It is the third time I have played He Guoqiang this season.

“He has got a great future in the game and we have had a couple of battles.

“We played in the UK Championships as well and I need to get through one of these matches.

“It can give me momentum to go deep in a tournament.

“These are the kind of matches for me to reach the next level that I need to start winning.

“That is something I am really looking into next year already.

“I was showing my intention at the World Championships but also practising with John Higgins to try to iron out a couple of things going into my few weeks off and knowing things are set in for next season.”*