John Higgins will have his work cut out at Sheffield on Monday if he is to
salvage a disappointing season by reaching the last eight of the Embassy World
Championship.
World number four Higgins is one of the few leading professionals not to have
picked up a trophy this season.
In fact, Scotland's number two has not won a ranking event since October
2001.
And that record will extend into next season unless he can break compatriot
Graeme Dott's resistance.
Celtic fan Higgins laboured badly in snooker's Old Firm meeting against his
Rangers-supporting rival, kitted out in blue shirt and blue waistcoat.
And he was glad to finish the opening eight frame session just 5-3 in
arrears.
The 1998 world champion faced a much wider deficit when Larkhall based Dott
took five of the first six frames.
Higgins dropped the opening frame to his opponent's colour clearance and the
second to a break of 70.
He led 44-0 in frame three but eventually lost it 69-44. At this stage Dott
had already improved on his performance against Higgins at the same stage of the
2002 championship when he lost 13-2.
Indeed, he had also lost to Higgins in the last 32 in 2001.
Higgins opened his account on the pink in frame four but Dott moved 4-1 up
with a run of 78 and then knocked in a re-spotted black for 5-1.
It was to be his last success, though, as Higgins scrapped his way to the next
two frames, improving his chances of reaching the last eight for a ninth
successive season.
The match resumes on Monday morning with another eight frames. The duo are
playing for a place against David Gray or Welsh qualifier Lee Walker.
WORLD SNOOKER NEWS
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