Players Under the Spotlight / Alsy / 17 December 2008 / Leave a comment

Alister Morgan looks at why a country with a population as small as Scotland continues to consistently produce top-class snooker players, none more so than Stephen Hendry and quarter-final oppponents in the UK Championship: John Higgins and Stephen Maguire.

When discussing Scottish snooker players a glance at the current world rankings is essential. Ronnie O'Sullivan leads the pack but 2nd, 5th and 6th positions are held by Scots: Stephen Maguire, John Higgins and Stephen Hendry. This trio have been described in some quarters as the past, present and future of snooker and a quick look at their respective records supports the argument.

Yes, England remains a powerhouse in snooker but if you're looking back over the last few decades then Hendry and Higgins have their names etched into plenty of winner trophies. If you want to peer into the future then 27-year-old Maguire looms large finally adding a cool temperament to his considerable talent.

More trophies should be added to Maguire's CV in the near future and perhaps in the next few days in the Maplin UK Championship? After watching his thrilling 9-8 victory against Neil Robertson he may have Lady Luck on his side. Maguire's break of 104 displayed his full range of talent but he only had the opportunity after Robertson missed a black in the previous frame that would have secured victory.

Now a quarter-final match up pitches Maguire against John Higgins - a proven Champion against a rising star. Higgins has pretty much done it all in the game of snooker and even received an MBE for his trouble. After winning his first world title in 1998 few pundits would have predicted that it would take nine years to repeat the feat but I've always felt frustrated when charges of under-achievement are thrown his way. Higgins has accumulated enough ranking event titles to put him fourth on the all-time list. Factor in a keen tactical brain, consistent delivery and you have a player who maintains a remarkably high level of snooker.

Comparing Higgins' impressive 9-4 victory over Ding Junhui with O'Sullivan's 9-5 loss to Joe Perry says it all. O'Sullivan's genius is beyond question but his temperament (exemplified by his inexplicable concession when 23-0 down in the 12th frame) has long been his Achilles heel. With the defending champion defeated John Higgins is the clear favourite at [3.7] to win but overcoming Maguire in the quarters will be no easy feat.

When Stephen Maguire won the European Open in 2004 I'd never heard of him but, ranked 41st he beat Jimmy White 9-3 in the final. A bit of research reveals that the Glaswegian used to be a regular training partner of Stephen Hendry. A few years on Maguire managed to raise his game to a similar level, winning two ranking titles during 2008 while rising to second place in the world rankings. A fan's favourite, Maguire is known for wearing his heart on his sleeve but in the last year he's said less and won more and you sense a new maturity to Maguire's game. Over the years it has served Hendry and Higgins well enough and if Maguire is to progress this week he'll need to focus.

You can back Maguire to win the quarter-final at [1.93] while Higgins is [2.12] to progress. Form will count for little in this encounter and I expect a close match. Against any other player I would back Maguire but I feel that the greater experience of Higgins makes him a worthy favourite. Nevertheless, Maguire comes into this tournament with the better 2008 form and should be hungrier, especially with a potential semi-final game against old rival Murphy awaiting the victor.

Joe Perry closed out O'Sullivan with some style and can be backed to win the UK Championship at [6.8] but I suspect he will fall to Murphy in his quarter-final. Either way I'm backing a Scottish winner this year. When it comes to Scotland and snooker it seems success breeds success. I predict that it's Maguire's time to shine and should he fail to be the victor this week, who's to say he can't go on and win the big one, the World Championship, where he is currently the third-favourite at odds of [12.0]?