Super Scot grounds Rocket
John Higgins beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-4 to reach the totesport.com Welsh Open Final, where he will face Allister Carter, the defending champion.
John Higgins notched his fourth win over O'Sullivan from five meetings this season, although O'Sullivan still leads 27-21 overall in the career head to head.
The first four frames were shared, although Higgins could have been 3-1 up.
The World Champion broke down on 52 in the opener and O'Sullivan coolly cleared with 58.
Higgins made 48 in the second before missing a red to centre. But he got away with that and when O'Sullivan missed an attempted red, his opponent added 42 to level.
O'Sullivan regained the lead with 81 in a seven minute frame, and then Higgins stepped in with the highest break of the event so far, a superb 138 to level the scores.
For the first time Higgins gained the lead in the match, taking a low scoring fifth frame after O'Sullivan missed a pink.
In very short time it was level again. A quick fire 72 from O'Sullivan.
He followed that with a 95 clearance after Higgins had left a chance and regained the lead at 4-3.
And then came the turning point.
O'Sullivan opened with 45 but then snookered himself on all the colours. Higgins only made 24 from that chance but after O'Sullivan missed a red the Scot stepped in with a 55 clearance.
Higgins kept O'Sullivan scoreless in the next to move 5-4 ahead, although he made no sizeable break.
A piece of bad luck for O'Sullivan spelled the end for him. He'd made only 8 when he contrived somehow to go in off in the centre pocket. John Higgins compiled a match winning 68 from the opening and booked his place in the final.
Higgins and O'Sullivan have great respect for each other so it came as no surprise after the match that O'Sullivan praised his opponent.
"It was a professional performance by John tonight.
"Sometimes that's the way it goes. I couldn't find a way through tonight.
"John's a top player, very tough to beat and you have to play very well or else you'll get beaten.
Higgins, who has reached his first Welsh Open final in a decade, pointed to the eighth frame as the turning point.
"When Ronnie missed that red and I managed to clear up, it all turned round from then.
"The first four frames were great stuff and I was very happy with the 138 break to get level at the interval.
"Sometimes you can go on against a player and win a lot of matches. I'll take any wins I can against Ronnie, because they're hard to come by.
"I'm looking forward to the final. Ali is back to form again. He's got good memories here and it should be a good match.
"I'd love to win tomorrow, that would gain me a few more ranking points in the race for Number One. It would be good to stretch the lead and not be worrying about it when we go to the Crucible."
