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John Higgins Hit A Real Low During The World Snooker Championship

John Higgins Hit A Real Low During The World Snooker Championship
PJ Browne
By PJ Browne
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John Higgins says he never felt as bad standing at a snooker table as he did during this year's World Championship.

The four-time world champion exited the tournament in the second round after a 13-7 loss to fellow veteran Mark Williams.

Higgins had also performed poorly in his opening round match against Tian Pengfei. 7-4 down at one stage to the Chinese player, he came back to win 10-7.

"I was disappointed. I think first and foremost, it was actually the worst that I’d ever felt on a snooker table," the 46-year-old told the World Snooker Tour website.

"I did say after my first round match against Tian, which I think I was lucky to win, that there were some shots where I was struggling to breathe.

"I faded away in that second round match against Mark after a good start. I don’t know if it was because of my eyesight at my age, or the fact I’ve been carrying a bit too much timber. That has never been an issue before, but I felt uncomfortable in Sheffield this year. I need to lose weight before the new season."

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Since he exited the Crucible tournament, Higgins has been making an effort to improve his fitness. He's been attending spin classes three or four times a week.

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"It’s on an industrial estate with music blaring, you come in and are going for it for 45 minutes," he said.

"At the end you are drenched in sweat and absolutely knackered.

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"I’ve never been one for the gym, but I’ve always enjoyed the exercise bike. I’ve lost about a stone so far, but there is obviously more to go.

"I don’t know when my first tournament next season will be, I’ll see if I need to get my waistcoat tailored a bit. That is the target and I want it to make a difference. It won’t mean I’ll play better, but hopefully I will feel better. It was a wee bit worrying at the Crucible this year.

"The way I performed at the Players Championship still gives me great confidence going into next season. To know that I can still win tournaments and play at that level.

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"I felt I was practising well with Stephen Maguire and Anthony McGill in our unit. However, with a week or so to go before the Crucible I just felt I’d left my best form behind.

"You can never plan to peak for a specific event. You just have to hope if comes at the right time. I could feel in my own head, that whether it was mentally or physically, I ran out of steam."

Picture credit: R R / Shutterstock.com

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Quiz: Can You Name 20 Snooker Players From Their Nickname?

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