Higgins Survives Rocket Attack
World champion, John Higgins survived one of the best comebacks in UK Championship history to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan and move into the final of the Pukka Pies sponsored event in Telford.
Higgins started well in the afternoon by taking the opening two frames before O’Sullivan made a century break (116) to reduce the deficit to just one.
Breaks of 83, and 127 helped the Scot win the next four frames and open a 6-1 advantage.
World number one, O’Sullivan took the last of the afternoon session with his second century (110) to limit the damage at half time.
Higgins dominated the early evening exchanges and won the opening two frames including a 109 break in frame ten.
With his back firmly against the wall, ‘The Rocket’ suddenly exploded and breaks of 57, 47, 134, 49, 63 and 57 he levelled the scores at 8-8.
The final frame decider began slowly, but when Higgins was given his chance he took it making a frame winning break of 56 to secure his place in the final against Ding Junhui.
Ding beat Scotland’s Stephen Maguire in yesterday’s first semi-final, and is looking more like the player who won three ranking titles as a teenager before O’Sullivan crushed him with two heavy defeats in early 2007.
The final gets underway on Sunday afternoon and promises to be an enthralling affair, but you have to wonder whether tonight’s battle might have played into the hands of the Chinese number one.
