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Reigning World Snooker Champion and defending UK Champion, John Higgins, has reached York and the cueist seems to have the hunger to win and retain the 2011 UK Championship. The champ is preparing himself and sharpening up his cue stick to take on any challenge placed against him during the championship. He will be meeting England’s Rory McLeod in his first-round clash at the arena.

The 36-year-old took part in the Paul Hunter Foundation Roadshow after reaching York, where the 27th edition of UK Championship will kick off on Saturday, December 3. Higgins believes that snooker matches have become more difficult now because a number of new but strong players are emerging on the map of world snooker.

Speaking to media at York, Higgins said, “You don’t get any easy matches nowadays. It just shows you how difficult it is in sport, especially snooker, to come back and defend a big title. If Stephen Hendry was the last one to do it 15 years ago, it shows you it is a very difficult thing to do.”

The Wizard of Wishaw added, “But I will come and try to do my best. I have not been in the best of form lately but, hopefully, when I come here I can try to play my best stuff. You don’t look at the draws nowadays because everyone plays to the same high standards.”

A couple of days ago, the Scotsman criticised snooker authorities for changing the format of major snooker events like UK Championship. He stated that snooker boss, Barry Hearn, did not fulfil his promise and changed the playing format of the event from best-of-17 to best-of-11 frames. Higgins insisted that the change has been made keeping only television viewers in mind.

Not only that, the Magician also opposed the Players Tour Championship (PTC) matches as previously done by the Rocket, Ronnie O’Sullivan, and compatriot, Stephen Maguire. The four-time world champion believes that organising such events does not bring any crowd into the arena and players only increase their expenditure playing in them.

Higgins has suggested Hearn to exclude PTC events that are organised at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, so that players can manage their expenses after participating in the remaining PTC events.

http://blogs.bettor.com/World-Champion-John-Higgins-aims-to-retain-2011-UK-Championship-title-at-York-Barbican-Centre-a114572

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On his longevity, he added: “I think it’s just down to the way you manage your game. I have got a decent all round game and there may be some matches where I am not playing so great but still manage to find a way to win.

“I don’t know why that is. Maybe some of the more attacking players perhaps don’t know how to win scrappy matches. You look at the top of the rankings and there is Mark Selby, Mark Williams and myself and we’ve all done pretty well because we are all-round players. Ню-ню...

Тока трое вас, всесторонних-то? Я-то знаю, что он имел ввиду, но если на топе поместить это, то Вадиму придеццо открывать еще одну тему "Комментарии на топ-снукере или забор для ругани."
“I believe that, in the last two or three years, the tables we are playing on are the toughest we’ve ever had. On the other side of the coin, though, there is Judd Trump who is potting them from the lamp shades.

“I’ve still got the hunger and desire and it is about how long you keep going. You try to keep going as long as you can. Every year you come back and go to the well and try and win those tough matches and there is going to be a time when you start losing those matches. You try to stave that off as much as possible.” Воот, он, надеюсь, примет философски это.
Going for his third UK final in a row, Higgins continued: “There would be no better place to do that than here at York. I don’t have the best memories here and haven’t won too many matches but I would love to be here for a week just before Christmas.”

Higgins is sporting a moustache in aid of Movember this month, which is raising awareness and money into cancers which affect men. To boost his total and donate, log on to uk.movember.com. У нас с Бре и Annika усы не растут, но Алекс вполне могет поддержать Джона и зайти на этот сайт.

[url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/sport/9385926.Snooker_champion_John_Higgins_on_cue_for_York_return/&ct/]http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/sport/9385926.Snooker_champion_John_Higgins_on_cue_for_York_return/&ct/[/url]
Что-то расхрабрился Джон, Хирна критикует....