Liam Highfield hoping to take advantage of 'generous' Ronnie O'Sullivan gesture at World Snooker Championship
Stoke-on-Trent's Liam Highfield admits he could have Ronnie O'Sullivan to thank if he is to fulfill his World Snooker Championship dream later this month.
The two-time ranking event quarter-finalist is one of 128 players hoping to secure one of the 16 qualification spots for the forthcoming Crucible spectacular, which gets underway in just over two weeks times.
Highfield has already took centre stage at the iconic Sheffield venue on three occasions in the past, but has so far been unable to record his first victory there, suffering defeats to Mark Allen, Judd Trump and Anthony McGill.
However, the 35-year-old is keen to address that this year, and says he will owe a debt of gratitude to the sport's biggest superstar and seven-time world champion, O'Sullivan, if he is to end his Crucible hoodoo.
"Qualifying for the World Snooker Championship is so tough, it's a real arduous task but I have done it before and I am desperate to do it again," he exclusively told bet365 ahead of his 2026 qualifying campaign.
"I've made a few big changes this year, both on and off the table, one of the biggest being that I have upgraded my practise table to one which now replicates those that we play on in the tour.
"I was still using one of the older branded tables and have been on the lookout for one of the new ones for a year or two - they are from china so are very difficult to get hold of.
"But I have known Ronnie [O'Sullivan] for a long time now and I was speaking to a friend in common last year and mentioned I was still trying to get my hands on one, and he just said 'Ronnie will give you his'.
- Liam Highfield (Two-time ranking event quarter-finalist)
"At the time, he was moving out to the Middle East and he allowed us to go down to his house and take it out of the back room in his garden, which was really generous of him.
"He's always been really good with me, offered words of advice and encouragement, and of course, I am really thankful to him that he has given me his snooker table."
Highfield's quest for a fourth World Snooker Championship appearance will see him tackle Oliver Brown in the opening qualification round on Wednesday 9th April, before potential encounters with Wang Yuchen, Stephen Maguire and Ben Woollaston.
Whilst the Staffordshire potter certainly isn't underestimating the magnitude of the task lying in wait for him, he believes his game is peaking just in time for the biggest tournament on the calendar.
"I said before, qualifying is tough, incredibly tough given the long-format of it and the quality of players you have to overcome if you are to make it through," he added.
"I've got a really good record in qualification though; I have made it through three times and been to the final round another three or four times too, so I know what it takes now and what is required.
"My game is in a good place now, mentally I am in a good place too, and I have really been putting the work in on the new table to give myself the best chance of being successful, not just at the worlds, but over the next four or five years too.
"I've probably not had my best years yet, but I have made a lot of changes to my life which are already proving beneficial, so hopefully I can sign off my first year back on tour with a real bang in Sheffield."
