The Championship League Winners Group takes place on Thursday and the afternoon tussle between Mark Selby and John Higgins could be pivotal. The pair have amassed seven world titles between them, including four of the last seven at the Crucible Theatre. They are scheduled to meet in their final round-robin game at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena.
Higgins took the final place in the Championship League Snooker Winners Group by defeating Judd Trump 3-2 on Tuesday, ensuring he’s full of confidence and eager to defend the title he won 12 months ago. For world champion and world number one Selby, it has not been the season he would have hoped for. ‘The Jester’ defeated Mark Allen 10-7 to win the International Championship in October but otherwise has endured a frustrating term. A second-round exit at the UK Championship was followed by a first-round loss against Mark Williams in the Masters in January. It was a similar tale last week at the Players Championship in Wales, with Ryan Day this time sending Selby packing at the first hurdle.
With the Crucible now just weeks away, the 34-year-old could use a shot in the arm. Higgins, meanwhile, was boosted recently with a fifth Welsh Open title, overcoming Barry Hawkins in the decider. The 42-year-old has spoken of his desire to be fitter in order to survive the two-week endurance test of the Crucible in Sheffield but, for now, he’ll hope to prevail in the best-of-seven format in Coventry. Higgins is 17/20 to defeat Selby in their Winners Group clash, with the world number one 16/5 to defeat the Scot 3-1.