John Higgins beats Mark Davis 5-2 to fix a berth in second round – 2011 Shanghai Masters tournament
The four-time Crucible winner and the reigning world champion John Higgins has secured a place in the last-16 of the 2011 Shanghai Masters tournament, as he outplayed the current world number 18 Mark Davis by a frame score of 5-2 in a best-of-nine frames
opening round match.
This event is being carried out at the Shanghai Grand Stage in Shanghai, China.
It was a strong performance from the Wizard of Wishaw, Higgins, as he pocketed the opening frame with a magnificent break of 112. Though Davis responded with a classy 76 in the second frame, Higgins took the next three frames in a row with a top break of
84 to go in front at 4-1.
Davis reduced the deficit by winning the sixth frame at 4-2 before the Scottish professional Higgins killed the match in the following seventh frame with a modest break of 68.
The 36-year-old Higgins afterwards shared his feelings with the media. Higgins stated Davis is playing very well for the last two or three years and he is delighted he has beaten him. Higgins won the Shanghai Masters tournament back in 1999 and the Scot
thinks winning it again would be real gift for him.
“I'm very happy because Mark's a top 16 player and he's been doing well for two or three years,” said the world number 3 Higgins. “I've only ever won one ranking tournament in Asia, and that was here in Shanghai in 1999. So it's been a long time and I'd
love to win another one.”
Higgins in the meanwhile also commented on Shanghai City which he will visit with his wife Denise, who has come to China for the first time.
Higgins added, “It's nice to have her here because it can be boring sometimes at tournaments. We've been out around the city and I've seen parts of Shanghai which I wouldn't usually visit.”
John Higgins will now face Stuart Bingham, who defeated Judd Trump in the last 16.
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