Snooker: Glasgow to witness battle of the Scots

John Higgins has happy memories of Glasgow’s Thistle Hotel, venue for tonight’s potentially epic last quarter-final in the £200,000 Regal Masters.

It remains to be seen though whether the former world champion will retain as much fondness for the city centre establishment after his showdown with Stephen Hendry.

Four days after the start of the tournament Higgins, who witnessed his first ever live match at the Thistle, makes his first appearance in this year’s event.

He does so against an opponent who has one victory to his credit, albeit a tense 5-4 win over Jimmy White, and his manager Ian Doyle saying: ‘‘Stephen seems to have got his focus for the game back.’’

Higgins, six years the junior of his one-time stablemate, already has one major title to his name this season.

Last month he captured the Champions Cup in Brighton when Hendry failed even to make the knockout stages.

Higgins will start slight favourite but even though - at 26 - he is at the peak of his powers, the world number two is already experiencing feelings Hendry must have experienced for years.

‘‘It’s been harder to motivate myself to put in the practice but I think that is more to do with me getting older and having more responsibility.

‘‘However, I watched Jimmy White and Alex Higgins at the Thistle and I’ve never forgotten the atmosphere that night.’’

No longer a bachelor boy, Higgins was due to become a dad for the first time yesterday. Wife Denise had still to go into labour last night and her husband may find it hard to concentrate totally on beating Hendry to set up a semi-final against Mark Williams or Stephen Lee.

Hendry, himself a father, will hope to take advantage of any mental lapses by his fellow Scot. He can become the first snooker star to amass £7m in prize money by winning the title for an unprecedented fourth time on Sunday.

Ronnie O’Sullivan has two titles to his name and last night he moved to within a couple of wins of a hat-trick of crowns.

The 25-year-old world champion made a brace of centuries in his 6-3 victory over Welshman Matthew Stevens.

‘‘I won’t give up my title without a fight,’’ said O’Sullivan. ‘‘I will be trying my hardest.’’

O’Sullivan will face Marco Fu tomorrow for a place in the final after the Hong Kong-born cueman defeated double Regal Masters champion Ken Doherty 6-3.

World number one Williams and eighth seed Lee, having threatened this week to withdraw from England’s World Cup team due to a feud with team-mate Peter Ebdon, meet in the penultimate quarter-final this afternoon.