John Higgins gutted after discovering snooker cue ruined and searching like a banana
John Higgins was left devastated after finding his cherished snooker cue looking like a banana and damaged beyond repair.
The four-time world snooker champion had been knocked out of the cash-soaked Saudi Arabia Masters by Jimmy Robertson, and things went from bad to worse on his trip home. He reckons his ski tube, which held his cue, was left in the pouring rain during a stopover in Paris.
The damage was only discovered when he got back to Scotland and checked his gear before jetting off on holiday. To his dismay, the cue he used at the last World Championship, where he mad a memorable match-winning break versus Mark Allen, was completely ruined.
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After beating David Gilbert 4-1 at the English Open, Higgins revealed: “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.”
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(Image: Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images)
However, Higgins hopes the mishap might actually prove to be a blessing in disguise. Battling to keep his spot in the top 16 and dodge falling out of that elite bracket for the first time in nearly three decades, he has opted for a longer cue.
“It is maybe a blessing, as I’ve gone back to the measurements I was playing with two or three years ago,” said Higgins, who has admitted he has struggled for motivation so far this season.
“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.”
Higgins is currently 16th in the world rankings. If he falls any lower, he would miss out on the Masters and be forced to qualify for UK Championship and the World Championship.
