Maguire relishing home support

Scottish snooker star Stephen Maguire is relishing the prospect of playing in front of a home crowd in Glasgow next month.

World number two hopes to delight fans

Scottish snooker star Stephen Maguire is relishing the prospect of playing his first tournament in Glasgow next month. The world number two should get a hero's welcome when he takes part in the Royal London Watches Grand Prix, which starts on 11th October. It will make a welcome change for a player who usually finds the crowd supporting his opponent when plying his trade. Milton-born Maguire, who on Friday drew rising star Jamie Cope in the first round of the tournament, said: "People will obviously want me to beat the other boys that aren't Scottish for a change. "Down south, they usually want me to get beaten." When the tournament gets underway at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Maguire will enjoy support from family, friends and members of the city's Q Club, where he still practises. He said: "The boys in the club are all coming down.

Different

"And friends and family who have never been to a venue and seen me play, I'm letting them come down this year, so it should be different." As an added bonus, Maguire, who now lives in nearby Gartcosh, will also be able to go home and see his young family for the first time during an event after ten years as a professional. "I've not actually played a tournament yet when I can stay in my house, I'm looking forward to that," said Maguire. "Even if it was 40 miles away, I'd still be staying there." Maguire began this season at a career-high second in world rankings after a fantastic 2007-08 where he reached three finals and won both the Northern Ireland Trophy and China Open. The Scot finally rediscovered the form which had seen him win the 2004 UK Championship and European Open but is at a loss to explain his renewed success.

Business stage

"If I knew what it was, I'd be at the business stage of every tournament," he said. "Sometimes, if you go on a wee run and you win one or two tournaments, the other boys don't want to play you and it becomes a little bit easier for you." While some observers believe an in-form world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan - who plays Liang Wenbo first up in Glasgow - is unbeatable, Maguire does not agree. "Two years ago, Ronnie was at his peak against John Higgins in the Masters final and John took him apart," Maguire said. "If you're sitting in your seat, there's nothing you, Ronnie or anybody can do." First round draw:
Ali Carter v Dave Harold
Joe Perry v Barry Hawkins
Ryan Day v Ricky Walden
Stephen Hendry v Dave Gilbert
Graeme Dott v Judd Trump
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Liang Wenbo
Neil Robertson v Steve Davis
Mark King v John Parrott
Ding Junhui v Jamie Burnett
Mark Allen v Michael Holt
Stephen Maguire v Jamie Cope
Shaun Murphy v Adrian Gunnell
Peter Ebdon v Simon Bedford
John Higgins v Anthony Hamilton
Marco Fu v Jimmy Michie
Mark Selby v Andrew Higginson