Maguire says title-winning times are behind him
● Glasgow player into second round of Welsh Open but writes off chances
Stephen Maguire booked his place in round two of the Manbetx Welsh Open but admits his title-winning days are over.
The Glasgow potter eased past Rod Lawler 4-2 at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena, rolling back the years with breaks of 136, 83 and 52 to tee up a tie against either Ian Burns or Harvey Chandler tomorrow.
The current world No 15 reached the Betway UK Championship final in York at the end of last year but remains without a ranking event title since the Welsh Open in 2013, reaching a series of semi-finals but struggling to convert his form into silverware.
And although the 38-yearold still shows glimpses of the form that saw him lift five ranking event trophies, he says there’s no chance he will be augmenting the size of his cabinet any time soon.
“Getting to the final in York was a fluke – I’m back to normal now and I’m just a last 16, last 32 or maybe quarter-final sort of player,” he said. “I can’t see my myself winning ranking events any more – I’ve got no chance, and I just see myself floating about in the last 16 sort of region and seeing how long I’ll last.
“Everything is going to plan at the moment to be honest – I won ranking events years ago, but all I can do is try and do things right off the table and hopefully they can come on to it.”
The two-time Crucible semifinalist has endured a topsyturvy season, losing out to Ding Junhui in an entertaining final in York but crashing out in the quarter-finals at the Dafabet Masters and losing in rounds one and two at the 19.com English and Scottish Opens.
And Maguire was candid about his opinion of the Home Nations events, with the Manbetx Welsh Open representing the final one of the season.
“I do enjoy the practice side of the game still, but to be honest I don’t enjoy coming to these sort of tournaments,” he added.
“It’s hard to get up for it when there are a million players and only four practice tables – I couldn’t get a hit before I went on and it was cold out there, but it is my job at the end of the day.
“I don’t mind the schedule but I just want proper tournaments – I like the best of nine format, and these best of seven events are just pointless.
“But I’m not the one in charge, so what can I do – I don’t like the Home Nations events but I just have to go out and do what I’m told.”
Elsewhere, glasgow’ s an th onyMcg ill safely navigated his way through his first round clash, beating home favourite Duane Jones in front of a partisan Welsh crowd.
The world No 37 compiled majestic century breaks of 120 and 114 in frames two and five, setting up a round two match against either Mei Xiwen or Michael Georgiou.
● Watch the Welsh Open live on Eurosport and Eurosport Player with analysis from Jimmy White and Neal Foulds