John Higgins shows master's class against Stephen Lee – 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship
John Higgins has ended the opening session with a 6-3 lead over Stephen Lee in the first round of the 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship, which is being staged at the Crucible
Theatre, Sheffield, England.
The current world number one,
Higgins, produced a devastating performance, as he racked up three mind-boggling century breaks of 132, 101 and 131 in the first session. He also showcased further classy breaks of 56 and 70 to put him in the driving seat. The overall score-line between
both players was 34-77, 83 (56)-14, 76 (70)-31, 78-0, 133 (132)-0, 105 (101) -15, 1-84, 46-78 and 122-0.
The world number eighteen, Stephen Lee, took the opening frame after a bout of safety play to draw the first blood, 0-1, before the tournament favourite player, Higgins, bounced back into
the game, with all of his zeal, energy and strength, and clinched the next five frames in a row.
Higgins knocked in a classy break of 56 in the second frame to level the things at 1-1, before he further added a carving break of 70 in the following third to lead 2-1.
Fourth and fifth frame were over within a blink of an eye, as the Wizard of Wishaw, John Higgins, fired up mind-boggling back to back century breaks of 132 and 101 in both frames respectively.
He also took the sixth without doing anything outstanding to extend his lead by 5-1. Meanwhile the thirty-six-year-old Englishman, Lee, also clawed back in the seventh and eighth to reduce the deficit by 5-3. He dominated the seventh frame with a couple of
quick fires 41 and 43 before winning the cagey eighth with his tactical play.
It looked as if now the thirty-five-year-old Scottish professional, Higgins, might slow down, but everyone was stunned, as he pieced together another magnificent century break of 131 in
the ninth frame to finish his campaign with a 6-3 lead.
Higgins and Lee will start off with the second session today. Let’s see if Lee produces something extra-ordinary today against the three-time world champion, Higgins.
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