Stephen Maguire fired up for UK Championship after hitting professional low point

Stephen Maguire has qualified for the UK Championship and has got a ‘wee spot of beingness back’ aft hitting a nonrecreational debased earlier this season.

The erstwhile satellite fig 2 is warring to regain erstwhile glories from his existent spot astatine fig 33 successful the rankings.

Edging past Elliot Slessor to scope the Barbican volition assistance successful that quest, arsenic volition his mentation with erstwhile pro Chris Small, who is present moving arsenic a coach, successful the physique up to the UK Championship.

The 43-year-old says helium played arsenic severely arsenic helium has successful 26 years arsenic a nonrecreational successful a caller 6-2 decision to Haydon Pinhey and changes had to beryllium made. Changes that weren’t his cue, for a change.

‘I was messing astir with acold excessively galore cues. I deliberation I’ve utilized 10 cues this play successful tournaments. I wasn’t getting anyplace with it,’ Maguire said aft a 6-5 triumph implicit Slessor.

‘I went to a qualifier successful Sheffield and it’s the worst I’ve ever played arsenic a professional. I couldn’t bash anything, I was trying my hardest, but I couldn’t cookware much than 2 balls connected the spin.

‘It was either spell home, vanish for a week and bash what I usually bash oregon marque a move. So I phoned Chris up due to the fact that I needed help, helium acceptable maine successful and it’s been good.

‘I’ve knuckled down the past fewer weeks since Belfast. Working with Chris, trying thing caller technique-wise, which has fixed maine thing to ore connected here. I deliberation that has helped me.I’ve got a wee spot of beingness back.’

Asked if he’s inactive got the hunger to powerfulness backmost to the apical 16, helium said: ‘I deliberation so. I inactive despise getting beat. I bask winning but I despise getting bushed more. If that’s the crushed that is ticking maine implicit past maybe, it inactive hurts the aforesaid arsenic 20 twelvemonth ago.’

Another information for Maguire is to debar the qualifying rounds played successful beforehand of meagre crowds and a agelong mode from the precocious illustration main stages of events.

‘I effort hard not to slag these places, but it’s the pits, it truly is,’ helium said aft downing Slessor astatine the Mattioli Arena successful Leicester.

‘That deciding framework determination should beryllium butterflies determination should beryllium atmosphere, but there’s thing retired there.

‘I blasted myself due to the fact that I’m down determination successful the rankings. The suits volition accidental it, and they person said, good get backmost up determination and you don’t person to travel here.’

The erstwhile UK champion is delighted to beryllium backmost successful York, though. having won the lawsuit successful the metropolis each the mode backmost successful 2004.

‘It’s brilliant,’ helium said. ‘If you inquire astir of the players that person been there, it would beryllium successful their apical 2 oregon three.

‘It’s bully to beryllium determination astatine Christmas time. I’ve got a fewer friends implicit determination and stuff. I was going to caput backmost up to Scotland tonight, but possibly I’ll caput to York early. Who knows.’

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