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Figure after player's nation denotes 2001-02 World Snooker Ranking
REPORT
The world number three, who has now captured both opening titles of the 2001-02 World Snooker Main Tour season and, was a very emotional victor for winning his first title in Scotland and also for the fact that his wife, Denise, will give birth to their first child any day now. "When I looked up and saw my wife Denise in the crowd I got all choked up," Higgins said. "She had a tear in her eye and it got to me as well. "Winning here in Scotland has taken a lot of pressure off me and I couldn't be happier professionally and personally." The two players couldn't be seperated after the first session's play, though Higgins got a super start when he fired in a break of 111 in the first frame. Higgins also took the second frame, though with breaks of 80, 117, 57 and 50 O'Sullivan raced 4-2 ahead. However, the former Embassy World Champion and world number one won a fairly scrappy seventh frame by clearing from blue to black, and a break of 69 in the next frame leveled the match at 4-4 going into the second session. They resumed at 6:30pm local time and Higgins came back in a business like manner as he secured the opening two frames to lead 6-4. The current Embassy World Champion took the eleventh frame with a break of 52, though Higgins again opened up a two-frame lead by capturing the next frame capitalizing on the many unforced errors by the Englishman. A break of 73 won the thirteenth frame for O'Sullivan, but Higgins responded in the most clinical way by producing a 114 break in the next frame to move within one of victory. Higgins again had his break-building hat on in the fifteenth frame, as he compiled a 60 break after O'Sullivan had missed a red into the left-hand center pocket from the initial break-off shot. O'Sullivan was certainly not the player who defeated Higgins back in May to lift the world title, and the Scotsman quickly wrapped up the frame and match after the defending champion missed with a long red. "It's fantastic winning this trophy in front of family and friends," the home favorite said. "I probably caught Ronnie on an off-day. He didn't play as well as he can. "This is a brilliant start to the season for me. Ronnie has set the standard by winning six titles last season so now I’ve got four to go." O'Sullivan has now surrended two of the six titles he won last season and admitted that he had not been at his best. "I never gave John a game," he remarked. "The 9-6 scoreline sounds closer than it was and although I never gave up hoping I would produce something to come back but hoping was all it was." Higgins' attention will now turn to the birth of his first child and to his wife who was in the auduence at the Thistle Hotel. "She told me she would wait until Monday," he jokingly remarked. "That will be the best present of all." "If the baby doesn't come by next Monday it will have to be induced, which could have complications for the British Open. I'd love to go to Newcastle and make it a hat-trick but we'll have to wait and see."
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John Higgins with the Regal Masters trophy