Snooker star John Higgins makes ‘soul-destroying’ discovery about his cue but reveals it might have improved his game
JOHN HIGGINS’ cue was destroyed during a recent flight – but he believes it could be a blessing in disguise.
The snooker star admitted he was “soul-destroyed” after making the discovery before a holiday to Portugal.
Higgins was travelling back from the recent Saudi Arabia Masters when his cue was damaged irreparably.
The Scot believed heavy rain may have been the cause of the damage as his cue was bent out of shape after being left out during a stopover, despite being stored in a case.
He said at the English Open: “During the three-hour stopover between Paris and Edinburgh there were monsoon levels of rain and my ski tube must have been sitting on the tarmac.
“When I got back to Edinburgh it was soaking wet, but I just left it in the hall as normal. I went to Portugal on holiday and before I left I went to check my cue.
“The water had actually seeped inside and the cue is ruined. It was soul-destroying. I really liked it and when I opened the case up it was like a banana. The wood was all warped.
“As I was away to Portugal the next day, I just decided to go and have a good holiday and come back to see what happens.”
Higgins, 49, has now had a new cue made and reverted to measurements he used a few years ago, when his form was better.
He hopes that will help him improve results, with the veteran at risk of slipping out of the top 16 in the world rankings, which means he would miss The Masters and have to qualify for the UK Open and World Snooker Championship.
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Higgins continued: “It is maybe a blessing, as I’ve gone back to the measurements I was playing with two or three years ago,” added Higgins, who admitted recently he was struggling to motivate himself amid his poor form on the table.
“I was going shorter and shorter and that maybe wasn’t suiting my game. It has given me a new lease of life. It is maybe a bit better.”