2001 Rothmans Malta Grand Prix
Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valetta, Malta.
February 21 - 25.
Figure after player's nation denotes 2000-01 World Ranking
All match start times are stated in local Maltese time (+7hrs. later than CST in US)
Group A
(Best of 9 frames) |
| Match |
|
|
|
| 1. |
Ken Doherty (Ireland) 7 |
5 - 1 |
Alex Borg (Malta) 167 |
|
Scheduled start: Wednesday, February 21, 4:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Doherty's score stated first):
1st. 115(115) - 0
2nd. 95(73) - 28
3rd. 60 - 72
4th. 132(131) - 0
5th. 90(77) - 1
6th. 92(79) - 32
|
| 5. |
John Higgins (Scotland) 2 |
5 - 0 |
Alex Borg (Malta) 167 |
|
Scheduled start: Thursday, February 22, 4:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Higgins's score stated first):
1st. 91(83) - 32
2nd. 73(73) - 9
3rd. 104(81) - 21
4th. 63 - 49
5th. 118(77) - 0
|
| 9. |
John Higgins (Scotland) 2 |
5 - 2 |
Ken Doherty (Ireland) 7 |
|
Scheduled start: Friday, February 23, 4:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Higgins's score stated first):
1st. 75(64) - 56(56)
2nd. 109(57) - 0
3rd. 43 - 72
4th. 93(87) - 0
5th. 14 - 77(66)
6th. 74 - 37
7th. 78(78) - 0
|
GROUP QUALIFIER: John Higgins
Group B
(Best of 9 frames) |
| Match |
|
|
|
| 2. |
Matthew Stevens (Wales) 6 |
5 - 3 |
Joe Grech (Malta) 143 |
|
Scheduled start: Wednesday, February 21, 4:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Stevens's score stated first):
1st. 2 - 55
2nd. 10 - 89(51)
3rd. 19 - 97(66)
4th. 69 - 31
5th. 91(62) - 20
6th. 86(54) - 25
7th. 62 - 38
8th. 81(80) - 0
|
| 6. |
Stephen Hendry MBE (Scotland) 3 |
5 - 1 |
Joe Grech (Malta) 143 |
|
Scheduled start: Thursday, February 22, 4:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Hendry's score stated first):
1st. 61 - 47
2nd. 85(73) - 23
3rd. 78(69) - 0
4th. 27 - 62
5th. 120(118) - 0
6th. 68 - 49
|
| 10. |
Stephen Hendry MBE (Scotland) 3 |
5 - 3 |
Matthew Stevens (Wales) 6 |
|
Scheduled start: Friday, February 23, 4:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Hendry's score stated first):
1st. 12 - 96(95)
2nd. 125(118) - 10
3rd. 67 - 55
4th. 61 - 1
5th. 69(67) - 0
6th. 42 - 78(60)
7th. 0 - 75(69)
8th. 67 - 45
|
GROUP QUALIFIER: Stephen Hendry MBE
Group C
(Best of 9 frames) |
| Match |
|
|
|
| 3. |
Fergal O'Brien (Ireland) 9 |
5 - 3 |
Joe Swail (Northern Ireland) 15 |
|
Scheduled start: Wednesday, February 21, 8:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (O`Brien's score stated first):
1st. 58 - 57
2nd. 73 - 68
3rd. 72 - 27
4th. 31 - 62
5th. 0 - 81(73)
6th. 136(71) - 4
7th. 1 - 71(62)
8th. 69 - 32
|
| 7. |
Stephen Lee (England) 5 |
5 - 3 |
Joe Swail (Northern Ireland) 15 |
|
Scheduled start: Thursday, February 22, 8:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Lee's score stated first):
1st. 89(50) - 24
2nd. 77(51) - 28
3rd. 55 - 71
4th. 8 - 119(54)
5th. 91(86) - 6
6th. 62 - 75(60)
7th. 93(93) - 34
8th. 59 - 1
|
| 11. |
Stephen Lee (England) 5 |
4 - 5 |
Fergal O'Brien (Ireland) 9 |
|
Scheduled start: Friday, February 23, 8:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Lee's score stated first):
1st. 1 - 121(112)
2nd. 60 - 48
3rd. 65 - 40
4th. 16 - 66
5th. 86(57) - 6
6th. 27 - 74(54)
7th. 72 - 12
8th. 52 - 68
9th. 17 - 64(59)
|
GROUP QUALIFIER: Fergal O'Brien
Group D
(Best of 9 frames) |
| Match |
|
|
|
| 4. |
Paul Hunter (England) 14 |
3 - 5 |
Tony Drago (Malta) 26 |
|
Scheduled start: Wednesday, February 21, 8:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Hunter's score stated first):
1st. 64 - 57
2nd. 23 - 76(65)
3rd. 48 - 57
4th. 14 - 83
5th. 16 - 64
6th. 77(77) - 0
7th. 79(57) - 0
8th. 9 - 70
|
| 8. |
Mark J. Williams (Wales) 1 |
5 - 2 |
Paul Hunter (England) 14 |
|
Scheduled start: Thursday, February 22, 8:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Williams's score stated first):
1st. 27 - 61
2nd. 66 - 32
3rd. 5 - 83(63)
4th. 69 - 13
5th. 67 - 2
6th. 79 - 8
7th. 71 - 34
|
| 12. |
Mark J. Williams (Wales) 1 |
5 - 2 |
Tony Drago (Malta) 26 |
|
Scheduled start: Friday, February 23, 8:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Williams's score stated first):
1st. 10 - 58
2nd. 31 - 79
3rd. 67(54) - 23
4th. 65(65) - 24
5th. 72 - 43
6th. 84 - 0
7th. 51 - 2
|
GROUP QUALIFIER: Mark J. Williams
Semifinals
(Best of 11 frames) |
| Match |
|
|
|
| SF1. |
John Higgins (Scotland) 2 |
4 - 6 |
Stephen Hendry MBE (Scotland) 3 |
|
Scheduled start: Friday, February 23, 3:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Higgins's score stated first):
1st. 25 - 62
2nd. 32 - 94
3rd. 98(60) - 0
4th. 67(63) - 57(57)
5th. 58 - 64
6th. 32 - 64
7th. 75(75) - 40
8th. 0 - 100(100)
9th. 63 - 36
10th. 62 - 63
|
| SF2. |
Mark J. Williams (Wales) 1 |
6 - 4 |
Fergal O'Brien (Ireland) 9 |
|
Scheduled start: Saturday, February 24, 8:00pm
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Williams's score stated first):
1st. 71(62) - 24
2nd. 0 - 97(97)
3rd. 41 - 65
4th. 8 - 75
5th. 17 - 57
6th. 74(57) - 23
7th. 67 - 24
8th. 69 - 48
9th. 67 - 62(62)
10th. 58 - 5
|
Final
(Best of 13 frames) |
| Match |
|
|
|
| F. |
Mark J. Williams (Wales) 1 |
1 - 7 |
Stephen Hendry MBE (Scotland) 3 |
|
Scheduled start: Sunday, February 25, 6:00pm (11:00am CST)
Frame scores and 50+ breaks in brackets (Williams's score stated first):
1st. 75 - 20
2nd. 41 - 74(57)
3rd. 0 - 147(147)
4th. 35 - 79(70)
5th. 46 - 61(56)
6th. 17 - 70
7th. 7 - 87(87)
8th. 50 - 57
|
Stephen Hendry
With The Rothmans Malta
Grand Prix Trophy
Photograph ©
TSNsnooker.com
|
Final Report
STEPHEN Hendry MBE ended his abysmal run without taking a
snooker title as he thrashed world number one Mark J. Williams 7-1 including
a superb maximum 147 break in the process – his eighth in professional
competition.
The 32-year-old Scotsman, whose last title victory came when he won the
Premier Snooker League in May 2000, said: "People will say that it's only
a small tournament but when you haven't won for as long as this, just to
be in the winner's circle again is a good feeling.
"Mark didn't play very well and I was fortunate that he had an off day. He
gave me loads of chances and I took them."
The first two frames were shared, and it was in the third frame that Hendry
fired in the 42nd. maximum break in professional snooker
history and only the third compiled outside the UK and the
20th. in front of the television cameras.
"As soon as I potted the second red along the cushion I knew I was going
to go for it because the balls were situated perfectly. Fortunately I wasn't
in trouble at any stage," he said.
"It's nice to produce good form and it's always special to do one in a
final. It's a great feeling in practice but to do one in a tournament is
even better."
From then on Hendry took full control of the match with further breaks of 70,
56 and 87 to reel of the next five frames to complete a very comprehensive
victory over the current Embassy World Champion and world number one.
Williams was heavily beaten in the final in Malta last year by Ken Doherty,
and has since suffered three other crushing defeats in finals. However, the
Welshman was very gracious to Hendry after losing to him for the
11th. time in 19 meetings, and was particularly impressed by
the maximum break – a feat he has yet to achieve in major professional
competition.
"It was an excellent break – I even enjoyed watching it sitting in my
chair," he said. "He looked so cool that you knew he wasn't going to miss.
There's not one other player in the game who could make a pressure break
like that and make it look so easy.
"He's still a good player. He's not as good as he was four or five years ago
– if he was he'd be giving the likes of John Higgins, Ronnie
O'Sullivan and myself 14 or 20 start a frame and still be whipping us!"
Williams admitted that he was never in the match. He said: "I had a few half
chances but overall he deserved to beat me.
"I tried but there was no form there to produce. My 'A' game is non-existent
at the moment and neither is my 'B' game. I'll go and practice now to try and
get a 'C' game.
"But it's been a good week and I can't really grumble that much at reaching
another final – although it would have been nice not to have got
thrashed again."
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| 
Defeated Mark J. Williams