Scotland’s John Higgins admitted he is plotting a trip with the Tartan Army to the World Cup next year after booking his passage in the second round of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship with a 6-2 win over Ben Woollaston.
The Glaswegian is competing in this event for the 33rd time in his career. He’s a three-time UK Champion, but York’s not been a happy hunting ground in recent times. Higgins hasn’t been beyond the last 16 since 2019. Standing in the way of the quarter-finals this time will be Shaun Murphy.
Despite his recent UK Championship record, Higgins arrives in good form having made the final of the recent International Championship in Nanjing, where he lost out to Wu Yize in the final.
Higgins says he’s still on cloud nine after celebrating Scotland’s 4-2 win over Denmark last week, which sealed World Cup qualification for the first time since 1998. The year he won the first of his four world titles to date.
Today’s defeat of Woollaston saw Higgins charge out of the blocks. Breaks of 66, 51, 84 and 58 saw him move into a 5-0 lead and one from the win.
Woollaston showed his steel and provided resistance in the sixth. Higgins was in first with 58, but a fine clearance of 70 saw the Leicester cueman steal on the black and keep the game alive. He then made it 5-2 with 65 in the seventh and apply some pressure. However, Higgins stood up to it and took a 21-minute eighth to get over the line.
“I’m hoping to come here and play well. It is a tough match with Shaun Murphy next but I’m into the tournament now. I’m going home for a couple of days then I’ll come back down and get ready for that match,” said 50-year-old Higgins.
“Shaun hits the ball like a dream. I managed to get the better out of him in Nanjing the last time we played but he beat me a couple of times before that. It is always a nice game. He goes for his shots and when you see that it makes you do it too. I can’t wait for it.
“Scotland qualifying for the World Cup has just given the country such a lift. Hopefully I will be out in a city in Mexico, Canada or America in the summer. I’d dearly love to go. The amount of people you speak to and they are all trying to get flights booked up. It will be an incredible atmosphere.
“One of the guys I went to Paris with in 1998 is no longer with us and it makes you think what a long time ago it was. A lot of things have passed under the bridge since then. It is great we are there again and I’d love to go and savour it again.”
On the other table, Murphy set up his mouth watering meeting with Higgins after taking five frames on the trot to defeat Lyu Haotian 6-2.
The Magician was trailing 2-1 when he stepped up with breaks of 58 and 63 on his way to moving 4-2 ahead. There was then a 147 attempt in the seventh, but his run ended on 80. It was enough to seal the frame and a contribution of 57 in the next saw the 2005 World Champion secure victory.
Murphy is also in fine form having won the British Open earlier this season and is savouring going toe to toe with Higgins.
Murphy said: “I was sat this morning having my breakfast watching the news and there was a lovely piece about the Class of 92. There is no escaping these guys and what they continue to achieve is remarkable. I’ve enjoyed watching John throughout my career. He has been a big help to me and helped me a lot as a junior player. I have watched him a lot, I just hope I don’t have to watch him too much in the next round!
“It has shown what the rest of us can do if we keep our heads down. When I started snooker you used to think your career would be over by 40. The Class of 92 have been trailblazers all of their lives and they continue to do that.”
