John Higgins, a 51-year-old snooker player ranked sixth in the world, has openly admitted that he is not currently playing at his best. Despite finishing last season with a strong performance in the Crucible semi-finals, the start of the current campaign has been slow. Higgins has withdrawn from a couple of tournaments and his best result in a ranking event this season has only been reaching the last 16 of the British Open. However, he remains optimistic that his form can improve. Higgins has a busy schedule ahead for the rest of 2026, starting with the Shenzhen Open. In his opening match on Tuesday, he faces David Grace, and as a four-time world champion, he is expected to be the favorite. However, Higgins has been open about his lack of confidence, describing his current game as "not great, to be brutally honest, not great." He acknowledged that the start of the season has been tough and emphasized the need to "get potting balls and winning matches soon." Higgins has also admitted that practicing has become a chore, and his motivation to train away from tournaments is at a low. He has considered retirement and sees 2028 as a likely end date to his career, but for now, he is focused on winning more titles. If he beats Grace, he will face Stephen Maguire in the last 32. Maguire is a long-time friend and practice partner, though Higgins joked that he doesn't remember much of their time on tour together. In contrast, Mark Selby, another four-time world champion, arrives in Shenzhen with high confidence in his game. Selby has had an excellent season so far, winning the China Open and reaching the final of the British Open, where he lost to Jak Jones. He described this as "probably the best start I've had to a season since I've been professional," noting that he usually takes time to build up his form at the start of the season. Selby emphasized that he has had a good start and has had the pressure taken off him for the Players Series events. The Shenzhen Open begins on Monday with Ronnie O'Sullivan facing Jiang Jun and world number one Zhao Xintong taking on Scott Donaldson. Both matches are scheduled to start at 12.30pm UK time.