Resurgent Scot John Higgins knows he’ll have to pull an unwanted “graveyard shift” if he’s to win a fifth Crucible crown.
The former No.1 has already killed off two opponents with comprehensive 10-3 and 13-2 victories at this year’s World Championship. And he’s hoping to bury either four-time winner Mark Selby or Gary Wilson in the coveted quarter-finals, which kick off on Tuesday.
Title-chasing Higgins, 47, joked the secret to his success so far in Sheffield has been pre-match banana smoothies. Higgins, who plays back-to-back sessions on Wednesday as well as one 24 hours earlier, lashed out: “It’s a graveyard shift and it’s a long, long day to try and get through to one of the biggest matches of the year. There’s no need for it to be back-to-back, it’s poor. It’s pathetic really. Why are you out there playing for like 10 hours? It doesn’t need to be that way because there’s two tables and the three other quarter-finals which get a break.
“They need to have a serious think about the sessions. There needs to be some dialogue between the players and the people running the game. It has to be 2.30 day one, 10am day two and 7pm the same day. Not 2.30 and 7 because if the first session goes on you don’t have much time to change and eat before playing again.
“It’s always been the same, but I think it was for the written press back in the day where there had to be a match finished, but with the way technology is you can get it on your phone, so it has to be changed."
The Wishaw man added: “I had a banana smoothie before playing Kyren so I’ll have to keep doing that! I quite like a banana smoothie. I’ll definitely need to have them Wednesday to help me get through the day.”
