Shachar Ruberg Handed Opportunity of a Lifetime

RUSSIAN youngster  Shachar Ruberg was last night handed the opportunity  of a lifetime to meet John Higgins in the World Series of Snooker in Moscow this weekend.
The 14-year-old up-and-coming star  has been drafted in  as a   late replacement for 2006 world champion Graeme Dott  who has stayed  at home in Scotland for the birth of his second child.
 Ruberg will now face Dott's scheduled opponent Sergey Vasiliev in the opening round tomorrow (Sat).
 If Ruberg  gets  through the match (Sat)  he will be on the brink of a dream encounter against  Scottish legend  Higgins, twice world champion and one of the favourites to lift the World Series Grand Final at the Kremlin in March.
Pat Mooney, chief executive of World Series organisers FSTC Sports Management, revealed : " With Graeme unfortunately having to withdraw from Moscow,  the  door has opened for Shachar and he is understandably thrilled to be given the chance to show what he can do against some of the world's top players. It's a dream come true for him, it really is.
"We wanted to bring in someone who would give the tournament a real  buzz and young Shachar fits the bill perfectly.
 "He is one of the brightest prospects around and we are looking forward to seeing him in action."
Ruberg  won this year's Baltic Cup but playing in the World Series is the biggest test of his fledgling career.
 And they don't come much bigger than Higgins  who should prove too strong for Russian Anton Ryabinin in his opening match which will  set up the possibility of an intriguing  semi-final showdown between the pair.
Moscow first round - John Higgins v Anton Ryabinin,  Shachar  Ruberg v Sergey Vasiliev ; Mark Selby v Ruslan Chinakhov, Ding Junhui v Sergey Isaenko.