John Higgins outplays Ali Carter in the semi-final of the Welsh Open 2011 – Snooker news
John Higgins has beaten Ali Carter in the semi-final of the Welsh Open 2011 by a frame score of 6-2 in the best-of-eleven frames match.
The Essex player Ali Carter was again not able to record any of his wins against the three-time world champion John Higgins in sixth ranking event’s meeting.
Higgins had also defeated Ali Carter, who won the Welsh Open two years ago, by 9-4 in the 2010 final of Welsh Open.
Carter was looking good as he took the opening frame with a magnificent break of 118 giving no chance to his opponent. But soon he was punished in the second and third for giving chances as Higgins took both frames dominating them with breaks of 71 and 76
respectively going ahead by 2-1.
Higgins went ahead leading by one frame before Carter roared back and took the next, contributing breaks of 49 and 16, giving Higgins again no chance to score and levelled the things by 2-2 before the mid-session.
After the interval, in the fifth frame, Higgins made a safety error but an unexpected miss from Carter brought him back on the table soon which resulted in a break of 69 from Higgins and the scores were 3-2.
In the sixth frame, Carter was among the balls first but he missed a black again along the baulk cushion as he was still struggling for his form. Higgins showed some terrific stuff and rolled in 55 points. Carter produced a brilliant safety but Higgins responded
with one of his own. Carter failed to it and later on had to trail Higgins by 4-2 after making an in-off.
Higgins made 27 in the next frame before he also did an in-off giving his opponent a chance but it was all looking a bit ominous for Ali Carter now as he missed an easy red this time. Carter had to concede the frame after another 37 from Higgins 5-2.
Higgins was now in a need of only one frame to book his place in the second straight final.
Carter showed some confidence in the last frame with a long pot but missed the plot after potting only five whereas Higgins did 27 with a nice safety shot ahead forcing Carter to make an error which gave Higgins a chance to kill the match and it was all
over at 6-2.
John Higgins has now gone through to the final of the Welsh Open where he is going to defend his trophy against the winner of Stephen Maguire vs. Mark Selby match on February 20, 2011.
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