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JOHN Higgins exacted sweet revenge over Ronnie O'Sullivan in a gripping encounter at the Grand Prix here in Glasgow.
In a match that would have been fitting of a final both players put on an amazing match where no quarter was asked and none was given as world champion Higgins took revenge in front of his home fans for his defeat in the semi finals of the Shanghai Masters two weeks ago.
The match had everythijng, tremendous potting, saftey and a few bad misses thrown in for good measure. And the first frame was to be an indication of what was to come as Higgins from the top cushion jawed a red to the centre pocket- and then left O'Sullivan a red along the cushion. The Rocket needed no second invitation as he rolled in the red left handed and then stroked in a break of 131.
But O'Sullivan was to contribute to his own downfall in teh second frame as he missed a simple red that left Higgins an easy starter to the "green" pocket. From it Higgins made 38 but broke down when he overcut a delicate blck to the top corner. With a red sitting close to a pocket it was surely odds on that Ronniw would counter and steal the frame. Unbelievably did what John did - overcut the red. Higgins back at the table quicker than he may well have thought had no trouble in completing the job - rattling in a run of 31 to level at 1-1.
Encouraged by his slice of good fortune Higgins took full advantage of Ronnie's miss on a mid range red to roll in a break of 60- only to give himself a few nervy moments when he missed a frame ball red. O'Sullivan though failed to capitalise on his reprieve and it was Higgins who sank an all important red to put himself into the lead.
With the match living up to it's billing the question was could Ronnie find his range - which had deserted him in the previous frames. The answer was a yes- though not without a few ums and ers along the way, as left a red to the centre from the top cushion the Rocket made 46 before being forced to scamper to safety. Higgins effort to counter began and ended with the same ambitious red presenting Ronnie with a chance to mop up and send both players to the interval at 2-2. Ronnie though only managed 13- but it meant that John needed a snooker. And it looked for all the world that when Higgins left the cue ball hidden behind the black he may have been able to force the pnalty points that he needed. O'Sullivan though was not going to let this one slip and negotiated his escape, and after sinking a jawed red from Higgins left the arena locked at 2-2 with the defending champion.
No doubt relieved at having parity O'Sullivan maybe relaxed just a bit too much on the resumption and his safety fell a good six inches short of the baulk cushion. Able to get his hand on the table Higgins drilled in a long red and made a break of 58 only to break down missing a red to the corner. O'Sullivan handed an unexpected chance made 65 before running out of position after sinking the blue. And it was a tense safety battle on the pink that was to go the way of the Englishman as Higgins left the pink just off the cushion- to give Ronnie a chance of the cocked hat double. And Higgins could only watch in agony as the ball flew off three cushions to go in at the centre as Ronnie took a 3-2 lead.
The roles were reversed in the sixth frame as Higgins in first when a massive kick on a red saw John miss and hand the Rocket an opportunity. Sinking a mid length red O'Sullivan made 57 only to miss a mid table red when overstretching. Higgins scarcely believing his good fortune doubled a red to the centre and put together a breakof 37 before missing the final red when trying to force it in to the "green" pocket. All Ronnie needed was that one red - and after a long straight attempt at it went awry it was left to John to dispatch the remaining red and the colours to snatch the frame and level at 3-3
This only goaded O'Sullivan into upping his game and he drilled in a long red to the corner to make a 67 break before running out of position. John though was in desperate trouble as he needed a snooker- trouble was he was already trapped in one behind the yellow. Higgins couldn't escape and the Rocket went 4-3 up.
With his back to the wall John knew that one more mistake could be fatal and after getting in he missed a straight red to the corner. To the oohs and the ahs of the crowd he backed away. His fate was now in Ronnies' hands and the Chigwell man hammered in a break of 50. Taking no chances Ronnie opted to play safe and keep it tight. As an easy match ball red went begging so the feeling grew that Ronnie had blown it-and Higgins knows better than most than if Ronnie is dwelling on a missed match winning chance then to capitalise aginst him can eat away at his confidence. With care and attention and on a break of 17 John was faced with a difficult brown. Doubling the brown across the table and back and then snookering Ronnie behind the black Ronnie's escape left the brown close to the top corner pocket. Higgins dropped it in only to miss the blue along the side cushion. Higgins must have thought he was on the way home when his safety left Ronnie with a straight blue. O'Sullivan thumped it and missed and left Higgins with the blue at his mercy. Dispatching the blue was simple - the pink was a formality as Higgins struck the killer blow in sending the match into a final frame shoot out.
And Higgins had the momentum as O'Sullivan continued to unravel. The Rocket missed a straight red to the corner and Higgins showed immense coolness in compiling a match winning break of 94 to snatch a 5-4 victory in front of his home fans against his great rival and put himself into the draw for the quarter finals.
Table 2 was served up a fscinating encounter between the pistol and the shotgun between two young gunslingers in Mark Allen and Jamie Cope and the two quickfire potters served up a cracker- punctuated too by some glaring mistakes.
Cope was first to fire in the opening frame as he made an opening effort of 27 before completing the job with a run of 39 that comprised five blues and one yellow.
Allen though responded quickly with a run of 42 in the second frame and then snookered Cope. Cope's escape hit the pack of reds - but also managed to leave one cuttable to the corner. Allen dropped the red to the centre and made 40 to level at 1-1.
But neither of the first two frames had been in the balance. That all changed in the third as Mark slammed in a long red and made 44 before trying to power home a long blue saw him miss and even woorse leave Jamie a chance to counter. The Stoke man though was only able to make 33 before a glaring miss on an easy red along the side cushion handed Mark a second bite of the cherry and he so nearly threw it away as he broke down on 15 when he left a red sittingin the jaws of the pocket. Cope was at the table quickly - maybe too quickly as after negotiating the red he missed an easy black allowing Allen to step in and clear with 20.
The schoolboy errors continued in frame four as Allen spurned a golden chance after doing the spade work in shifting 38 points then played a loose safety. You don't give Jamie Cope chances at short range and hope to get away with it. And Jamie made sure Mark was well punished for his mistake in hammering in a break of 80 to be level at the interval. It was a similar story in frame 5 as Allen in first made 24, getting in it seemed was the easy bit - it was keeping control of the cue ball that was proving the harder task- miscuing on the yellow and then attempting to play a thin snick in potting a red to the centre cannoned into another and left Jamie with an easy red to the opposite centre. Cope rattled off an inital effort of 36 and soon wrapped up a 3-2 lead when another poor safety from Mark left another opportunity.
But Allen was not prepared to give in as after putting Cope in a tight snooker behind the yellow he forced a mistake from the Staffordshire man who's escape left Allen in at mid range. Allen knew he couldn't afford any mistakes as he sank a straight red to the corner and made a decisive 51 to level at 3-3.
Cope though was not going to lie down easily as he made an break of 55 to put him in charge of the sevnth frame but then missed a simple pink to the centre. It was to cost him dearly as Allen took full advantage with a clearance of 60 to move 4-3 up and then completed a 5-3 victory in the next frame with what proved to be a decisive break of 55.
Suzy Jardine
In a match that would have been fitting of a final both players put on an amazing match where no quarter was asked and none was given as world champion Higgins took revenge in front of his home fans for his defeat in the semi finals of the Shanghai Masters two weeks ago.
The match had everythijng, tremendous potting, saftey and a few bad misses thrown in for good measure. And the first frame was to be an indication of what was to come as Higgins from the top cushion jawed a red to the centre pocket- and then left O'Sullivan a red along the cushion. The Rocket needed no second invitation as he rolled in the red left handed and then stroked in a break of 131.
But O'Sullivan was to contribute to his own downfall in teh second frame as he missed a simple red that left Higgins an easy starter to the "green" pocket. From it Higgins made 38 but broke down when he overcut a delicate blck to the top corner. With a red sitting close to a pocket it was surely odds on that Ronniw would counter and steal the frame. Unbelievably did what John did - overcut the red. Higgins back at the table quicker than he may well have thought had no trouble in completing the job - rattling in a run of 31 to level at 1-1.
Encouraged by his slice of good fortune Higgins took full advantage of Ronnie's miss on a mid range red to roll in a break of 60- only to give himself a few nervy moments when he missed a frame ball red. O'Sullivan though failed to capitalise on his reprieve and it was Higgins who sank an all important red to put himself into the lead.
With the match living up to it's billing the question was could Ronnie find his range - which had deserted him in the previous frames. The answer was a yes- though not without a few ums and ers along the way, as left a red to the centre from the top cushion the Rocket made 46 before being forced to scamper to safety. Higgins effort to counter began and ended with the same ambitious red presenting Ronnie with a chance to mop up and send both players to the interval at 2-2. Ronnie though only managed 13- but it meant that John needed a snooker. And it looked for all the world that when Higgins left the cue ball hidden behind the black he may have been able to force the pnalty points that he needed. O'Sullivan though was not going to let this one slip and negotiated his escape, and after sinking a jawed red from Higgins left the arena locked at 2-2 with the defending champion.
No doubt relieved at having parity O'Sullivan maybe relaxed just a bit too much on the resumption and his safety fell a good six inches short of the baulk cushion. Able to get his hand on the table Higgins drilled in a long red and made a break of 58 only to break down missing a red to the corner. O'Sullivan handed an unexpected chance made 65 before running out of position after sinking the blue. And it was a tense safety battle on the pink that was to go the way of the Englishman as Higgins left the pink just off the cushion- to give Ronnie a chance of the cocked hat double. And Higgins could only watch in agony as the ball flew off three cushions to go in at the centre as Ronnie took a 3-2 lead.
The roles were reversed in the sixth frame as Higgins in first when a massive kick on a red saw John miss and hand the Rocket an opportunity. Sinking a mid length red O'Sullivan made 57 only to miss a mid table red when overstretching. Higgins scarcely believing his good fortune doubled a red to the centre and put together a breakof 37 before missing the final red when trying to force it in to the "green" pocket. All Ronnie needed was that one red - and after a long straight attempt at it went awry it was left to John to dispatch the remaining red and the colours to snatch the frame and level at 3-3
This only goaded O'Sullivan into upping his game and he drilled in a long red to the corner to make a 67 break before running out of position. John though was in desperate trouble as he needed a snooker- trouble was he was already trapped in one behind the yellow. Higgins couldn't escape and the Rocket went 4-3 up.
With his back to the wall John knew that one more mistake could be fatal and after getting in he missed a straight red to the corner. To the oohs and the ahs of the crowd he backed away. His fate was now in Ronnies' hands and the Chigwell man hammered in a break of 50. Taking no chances Ronnie opted to play safe and keep it tight. As an easy match ball red went begging so the feeling grew that Ronnie had blown it-and Higgins knows better than most than if Ronnie is dwelling on a missed match winning chance then to capitalise aginst him can eat away at his confidence. With care and attention and on a break of 17 John was faced with a difficult brown. Doubling the brown across the table and back and then snookering Ronnie behind the black Ronnie's escape left the brown close to the top corner pocket. Higgins dropped it in only to miss the blue along the side cushion. Higgins must have thought he was on the way home when his safety left Ronnie with a straight blue. O'Sullivan thumped it and missed and left Higgins with the blue at his mercy. Dispatching the blue was simple - the pink was a formality as Higgins struck the killer blow in sending the match into a final frame shoot out.
And Higgins had the momentum as O'Sullivan continued to unravel. The Rocket missed a straight red to the corner and Higgins showed immense coolness in compiling a match winning break of 94 to snatch a 5-4 victory in front of his home fans against his great rival and put himself into the draw for the quarter finals.
Table 2 was served up a fscinating encounter between the pistol and the shotgun between two young gunslingers in Mark Allen and Jamie Cope and the two quickfire potters served up a cracker- punctuated too by some glaring mistakes.
Cope was first to fire in the opening frame as he made an opening effort of 27 before completing the job with a run of 39 that comprised five blues and one yellow.
Allen though responded quickly with a run of 42 in the second frame and then snookered Cope. Cope's escape hit the pack of reds - but also managed to leave one cuttable to the corner. Allen dropped the red to the centre and made 40 to level at 1-1.
But neither of the first two frames had been in the balance. That all changed in the third as Mark slammed in a long red and made 44 before trying to power home a long blue saw him miss and even woorse leave Jamie a chance to counter. The Stoke man though was only able to make 33 before a glaring miss on an easy red along the side cushion handed Mark a second bite of the cherry and he so nearly threw it away as he broke down on 15 when he left a red sittingin the jaws of the pocket. Cope was at the table quickly - maybe too quickly as after negotiating the red he missed an easy black allowing Allen to step in and clear with 20.
The schoolboy errors continued in frame four as Allen spurned a golden chance after doing the spade work in shifting 38 points then played a loose safety. You don't give Jamie Cope chances at short range and hope to get away with it. And Jamie made sure Mark was well punished for his mistake in hammering in a break of 80 to be level at the interval. It was a similar story in frame 5 as Allen in first made 24, getting in it seemed was the easy bit - it was keeping control of the cue ball that was proving the harder task- miscuing on the yellow and then attempting to play a thin snick in potting a red to the centre cannoned into another and left Jamie with an easy red to the opposite centre. Cope rattled off an inital effort of 36 and soon wrapped up a 3-2 lead when another poor safety from Mark left another opportunity.
But Allen was not prepared to give in as after putting Cope in a tight snooker behind the yellow he forced a mistake from the Staffordshire man who's escape left Allen in at mid range. Allen knew he couldn't afford any mistakes as he sank a straight red to the corner and made a decisive 51 to level at 3-3.
Cope though was not going to lie down easily as he made an break of 55 to put him in charge of the sevnth frame but then missed a simple pink to the centre. It was to cost him dearly as Allen took full advantage with a clearance of 60 to move 4-3 up and then completed a 5-3 victory in the next frame with what proved to be a decisive break of 55.
Suzy Jardine
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