John Higgins is a fan of York and the Barbican Centre, but doesn’t look forward to the UK Championship due to his disappointing record there.
The Wizard of Wishaw is a three-time UK champion, with only Ronnie O’Sullivan (8), Steve Davis (6) and Stephen Hendry (5) winning the event more times than him, so it seems absurd to say he has struggled in the tournament.
However, the last time he lifted the trophy was in 2010 and he has not been beyond the quarter-finals since then.
The UK Championship has been held in York since 2011 and had another stint at the Barbican from 2001-06 and Higgins has never reached a final at the venue.
By his immensely high standards, it has been a meagre return in York for the Wizard, so underwhelming that he now struggles to look forward to one of the great tournaments of the snooker season.
‘I’ve never done anything at York,’ Higgins told World Snooker Tour ahead of the UK Championship starting on November 29.
‘I’d love to because it’s one of the best venues we play at on the tour. It’s a great city but I’ve never ever played well there.
‘It’s one of those tournaments that, in a way, I don’t actually really look forward to it.
‘We’ve got some good tournaments coming up: this [International Championship], the Champion of Champions, Saudi [Riyadh Season Championship], the UK all before Christmas, which is fantastic. If you hit a good bit of form just now you should be doing ok.’
Higgins suggested his UK Championship malaise even extends to the Masters at Alexandra Palace in January, where he has suffered first round exits three years on the spin.
Similarly to the UK, the Scot is a two-time Masters champ, but his last triumph was 2006, making January’s edition two decades since he lifted the trophy in London.
‘It just seems to be the UK and the Masters, round about Christmas time,’ he said of his struggles in those big events.
‘I just seem to keep on doing the same things, maybe staying in the same apartments, losing 6-5. I don’t know if it’s in your head and you need to have a complete breakaway and do something different.
‘But I seem to just fall into the old same routine and lose 6-5 at certain points. It’s just not a great tournament for you.’
Past experiences may be quelling Higgins’ excitement for the big events, but his recent results have been encouraging.
The 50-year-old finished last season in style by winning the World Open and Tour Championship, before losing an epic World Championship quarter-final on the final black of the deciding frame to Mark Williams.
This season he has been to the semi-final of the British Open, two quarter-finals and is back in the last eight again at this week’s International Championship.
There he takes on Shaun Murphy, while the other quarter-finals see Mark Selby face Zhao Xintong, Stephen Maguire meet Zak Surety and Barry Hawkins play Wu Yize.