Maguire Sets Up All Scottish Final
The Wyldecrest Parks Welsh Open will have its first all-Scottish final on Sunday after Stephen Maguire beat Leicester's Mark Selby in a final frame shoot-out.
And Maguire promised 'there will be a party in Newport no matter which way it goes' after reaching first ranking tournament final in almost three years since he won the 2008 China Open.
The match itself was long - over three-and-a-half hours, with some frames getting bogged down in safety play enough to last over half-an-hour each.
But every so often, the game would burst into life, with Maguire hammering in two magnificent century breaks, including a superb 137 in the sixth frame.
Selby is known for his 'stickability' and would not give up forcing Maguire to admit, "He is the type of player you have to scrape off the table."
Selby clawed his way back from 5-4 down with a 90 break to set-up the final frame but Maguire attacked from the start, cracking a 67 break that left Selby needing two snookers to tie.
The Leicester ace tried to keep the match going, nearly getting two snookers only to leave the slightest of edges for Maguire to hit.
Maguire said later: "I had a couple of flukes early on and, from one of those flukes, I made a hundred break.
"At 5-4 up, I was hoping for one chance to finish it but I never got it. So he broke off in the last and gave me the chance I wanted.
"Anybody you play in the semis will be hard and Mark got to the final of the German (Masters) so he has been on a small run.
"He is a solid match player and just grinds out. So it is a good win, there is no two words about it.
"I have lost plenty of matches like that but it tosses and turns - and it's my turn this time."
Defending Welsh Open champion Higgins is a good friend of Maguire's but he said that friendship will not affect the final.
"We know each other's game inside out and we are both professionals. When we practice together, it is aways a good game.
"I have told him that the trophy is not going home with him - and the bragging rights are bigger than the title," he joked.
"He is playing some good stuff and it is true that even when he is struggling, his bad game is very tough to beat.
"I'm desperate to win. It is no good getting to the final and being happy about it. If I don't win it, I will be devestated but I know one thing - Newport is guaranteed a party and I hope I'm holding the trophy!"
