Sportingbet.co.uk Premier Snooker League

The Play-Offs for the Sportingbet.co.uk Premier Snooker League take place this weekend at Britain's most northerly snooker venue, the Inverness Leisure Centre, and with £115,000 of prize money up for grabs and Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins meeting just five days after their classic World Championship final confrontation, a weekend of high quality snooker is on the cards.

With Mark Williams, Steve Davis and Jimmy White eliminated via the group stages, the scene is set for Higgins, O'Sullivan, Stephen Hendry and Marco Fu to decide the destination of the final title of the 2000/2001 snooker season.

Action gets underway on Saturday afternoon with defending champion and five-time winner of this event, Stephen Hendry, taking on young Chinese star Marco Fu, who will be looking to make amends for his first round exit in Sheffield.

All eyes though will be the Higgins / O'Sullivan best of 11 frame semi which sees the reigning World Champion take on the man he narrowly beat for the title.

Commented O'Sullivan; " When I lifted the World Championship trophy last Monday, I never realised that it would feel that good. It's one thing to be praised by your fellow professionals and talked about in the press as one of the game's great talents but when you become World Champion, then you have proved it to yourself and to the snooker public.

" Being World Champion has given me a tremendous boost and really I can't wait to get up to Inverness and play. John Higgins is a fantastic player; he is so consistent at the top level and he is one of the nicest people you could meet in or out of snooker. I always enjoy playing John because you know that win or lose, you've been in a match against the best.

" That said, I won the League back in 1997 so it's about time I won it again. I always enjoy playing in Scotland because they know their snooker up there and I am very much looking forward to this weekend in Inverness."

For Higgins it is a chance for redemption after the heartbreak of Sheffield; " I would love to finish the season as Sportingbet.co.uk League Champion, and to do it in front of a Scottish crowd would be a real bonus. First though, I've got to get past Ronnie and after the disappointment of Sheffield that would be a little bit of revenge.

" To be fair though, Ronnie was a very worthy champion and it is great for snooker that he has fulfilled his promise. I have been practising hard this week as there is plenty at stake up in Inverness and I suspect that Stephen and Marco have been too.

" I remember that when I won the World Championship in 1998 the following week was a bit of a blur and by the time I got to the League play-offs the following week I was a little bit jaded. However, even if Ronnie hasn't practised too much this week, his natural talent is such that I don't think it will make too much difference. His confidence is high, so is mine and I am looking forward to what will be a cracking game of snooker. "

The two victorious semi-finalists then meet in Sunday's two session best of 17 frame final, with the winner receiving £60.000 and the runner-up netting £25,000.

Name Matches
Played		 Matches
Won		 Matches
Tied		 Matches
Lost		 Frames
Won		 Frames
Lost		 Difference Points
Marco Fu65012820810
Ronnie O'Sullivan63213018128
John Higgins6321272168
Stephen Hendry6312262247
Mark Williams6222262246
Steve Davis61051632-162
Jimmy White60151533-181

Highest Break: Marco Fu 143 v Stephen Hendry

Winner.........................£60,000
Runner-up....................£25,000
Semi-Final Losers........£15,000
5th Place......................£12,000
6th Place.......................£10,000
7th Place........................£8,000
Highest Break…….……£5,000
Total Prize Fund…….£150,000

For further details contact Luke Riches on 01708 782212, 0385 395688 or luke.riches@matchroom.com