Triumphant-Lee Wins EPTC4
Stephen Lee entered the winner’s circle for the first time in over four years, claiming the Euro Players Tour Championship event four by beating Stephen Maguire in the final at Gloucester’s South West Snooker Academy.
The 36-year-old, currently ranked number 20 in the world, is the tenth winner in ten events on the PTC series this season pocketing the 10,000 Euro first prize. He joins an impressive list that includes proven winners, Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby, Mark Williams and Ding Junhui.
Lee, a winner of four ‘major’ ranking titles, last won at the 2006 Welsh Open, stood in 31st place on the Order of Merit before this event, but is now assured of finishing in the top 24 and gaining automatic qualification for the grand finals in March.
Lee took the early advantage winning the opening frame with a break of 62 before the Scot levelled with a 56. A further run of 68 gave Lee the third before moving ahead in the fourth. Maguire rallied to take the next before Lee sealed the win in frame six.
The former world number three and world championship semi-finalist recovered from 3-0 down against another local man, Andrew Norman in the last 16 this morning but hit back to win 4-3 then went on to beat world six reds champion, Mark Davis 4-2 and Joe Jogia 4-1 to reach the final.
"I should have been going home at the last 16 stage so to end up lifting the trophy is a great feeling," said Lee. "I played some good stuff after that. My goal was just to get into the top 24 because I want to be in the final event.
"Last week (at EPTC3) I drove to Germany, lost 4-0 to Issara Kachaiwong and drove home again. So it just shows you that form can come at funny times and things can turn around very quickly."
Maguire reached his second PTC final of the season by beating talented youngster Liam Highfield in the last four after the teenager had earlier beaten Gerard Greene and Graeme Dott.
Murphy and Selby appeared to have run out of steam losing their opening matches on Sunday after playing at Power Snooker in London on Saturday.
The action moves back to Germany with EPTC5 breaking off in Hamm, Germany, in less than two weeks time.
