John Higgins ousts Stephen Maguire to retain his title at Newport Centre - 2011 Welsh Open
Scotsman, John Higgins, defeated compatriot Stephen Maguire by 9-6 to retain his Welsh Open title on Sunday, February 20, in the all-Scottish best-of-17 frame final of the Wyldecrest Park Welsh Open 2011 at the Newport Centre, Newport.
After this victory, the Wizard of Wishaw, Higgins, has become the second player after Stephen Hendry to win the Welsh Open title three times (2000, 2010 and 2011). He is also the third player after Steve Davis and Ronnie O’Sullivan to win back-to-back Welsh
Open titles.
Maguire, struggling for his first ranking title since the 2008 China Open, had a tremendous start as the 30-year-old Scotsman displayed some high-class potting in the first session. He got a 3-5 lead over Higgins, before the World Number Two hit back to
clinch the title at 9-6.
Higgins displayed the extraordinary match-play he is famous for after the first session, when he was 3-5 down to his opponent. The 36-year-old Higgins had been tussling since the last Welsh Open, as he faced a six-month ban due to match-fixing charges.
Later on, during the German Masters, he suffered from a tragic incident as his father suddenly passed away due to cancer. He was struggling with his performance from the beginning of the tournament, but the spirited cueist managed to strike back and make
his family proud again.
Maguire clinched the first two frames 0-83 and 32-71, gaining an early 0-2 lead that definitely put pressure on the defending champion. Higgins bounced back hitting a century break of 120 in the third frame, to move within one frame up at 1-2.
The match became a topsy-turvy affair after both players tumbled over each other until the end of first session. Maguire still managed to nudge the defending champion 3-5 down, hitting crucial breaks of 89, 58 and 76.
On the other hand, Higgins fired 72 and 70 before the mid-session. The On-Fire, Maguire, started very well in the eighth frame and tried to take the lead at 2-6, but he made some little chunks of mistakes in the frame to let Higgins take it all at 71-18.
In the evening session after the interval, the Wishaw potter, Higgins, took four consecutive frames to unsettle Maguire’s hopes of winning his first ranking title since 2008. Maguire missed a difficult pink at the jaws of the corner pocket, when he was leading
55-49 in the ninth frame. Higgins took advantage of the pink ball’s ricochet that left him with the crucial black, which he potted easily to advance at 4-5.
Higgins levelled the score at 5-5, suppressing Maguire who missed a red when he was at the brink of clinching the tenth frame. The table was let open for the champion, who absolutely made no mistake and shattered his opponent with a 63 knock, in reply to
Maguire’s 48 and snatched the frame at 64-48.
Breaks of 44 and 75 in eleventh and twelfth frame gave Higgins a 7-5 lead in the match. However, Maguire bounced back in the next frame and potted a 75 knock to capitalise at 7-6. Higgins then fired breaks of 54 and 66 in the 14th frame and a
stunning 72 knock in the 15th, to take the second consecutive title.
Following his victory over Maguire, Higgins said, “It was a fantastic final. At 5-2 he was outplaying me and overall it was a great standard. It's hard playing a good mate. I'd like to have seen Stephen winning tournaments again but I have the confidence
to clear up when I am behind.”
After winning the title, an emotional Higgins paid tribute to his father and dedicated his victory to him.
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