HIGGINS LAUNCHES WORLD DEFENCE AGAINST HAWKINS.
By John Docherty.
JOHN HIGGINS admits he will be walking out onto a potential minefield after landing Barry Hawkins in yesterday's (Thurs) last 32 draw for next month's Betfred.com World Championship.
Defending world champion Higgins, aiming for his fourth Crucible Theatre crown, revealed he could not have asked for a tougher opponent in the 30-year-old Englishman who who is nicknamed The Hawk.
The Scot revealed : "Barry is the highest ranked player I could have got outside of the top 16. He's ranked 17 in the world and is going to be hard to beat.
"He is a good all-round player. He's got a similar game to the likes of myself. He knows when to attack and he knows when to defend.
"I'm always excited to be heading down to Sheffield but as defending champion, and playing the first game of the World Championship, it's the most nerve wracking game you play in the whole year.
"That's probably the most pressure you are going to feel.
"But I am happy with my game, I've been very consistent this season and performing well enough. I'm desperate to hold onto the trophy because it's always a great feeling to be world champion and I would love to do it again.
"I'm just glad that the Scottish boys, myself , Stephen Maguire, Stephen Hendry, Graeme Dott and Marcus Campbell have avoided each other."
Dott faces Peter Ebdon, who he defeated 18-14 in the 2006 world final. Maguire is up against Stephen Lee, seven times world king Stephen Hendry tackles Zhang Anda while Campbell plays another former world champion Mark Williams.
English star Ronnie O'Sullivan was drawn against the highly dangerous Liang Wenbo.
WORLD LAST 32 DRAW.
John Higgins v Barry Hawkins
Mark King v Steve Davis
Neil Robertson v Fergal O'Brien
Marco Fu v Martin Gould
Ali Carter v Jamie Cope
Joe Perry v Michael Holt
Ding Junhui v Stuart Pettman
Shaun Murphy v Gerard Greene
Stephen Maguire v Stephen Lee
Peter Ebdon v Graeme Dott
Mark Allen v Tom Ford
Ryan Day v Mark Davis
Mark Selby v Ken Doherty
Stephen Hendry v Zhang Anda
Mark Williams v Marcus Campbell
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Liang Wenbo.