The cream has not so much
risen to the top as escaped from the Grand Stage as the Shanghai Masters
prepares for what should be a terrific finale.
Four great players are left
to contest the £75,000 first prize. Three of them are world champions and the
other is a leading candidate for future Crucible success.
Mark Williams, no stranger
to bizarre accidents, survived coming off a scooter to play Joe Perry and won
their decider.
It is worth recording
Perry's exemplary sportsmanship here. He potted a red in the decider but
fouled, unseen to both referee and Williams. Perry immediately owned up. It is
to snooker's credit that in our game this is the norm.
Williams has kind of ambled
through the tournament as he ambles through life itself: apparently without a
care in the world. But in all the events he has previously won he has stepped
it up in the closing stages.
Williams has won 18 world
ranking titles. Eight of these have been won outside the UK, including six in
Asia and three in China. Some players rival Mr T for their antipathy for
getting on planes but Williams is one of snooker's best travellers.
He faces Judd Trump in
today's first semi-final after Trump finished off well with a century in the
decider against Graeme Dott yesterday.
From 4-1 down, Dott played
like a man possessed, going for everything and potting most. It was a great
spectacle but he ultimately came up short, and Trump displayed great poise
under pressure to take the match out in one visit.
Later, John Higgins will
face Shaun Murphy, who is the only one of the four semi-finalists yet to win a
ranking title in China.
Murphy would find it hard to
gauge his game after yesterday's quarter-final because Stuart Bingham had a 24
carat gold shocker. It was one of those days to forget for Bingham and Murphy
picked him off.
Higgins at times resembled a
bloodhound so often was he sniffing, but a heavy cold did not unduly affect his
performance in beating Ali Carter 5-3.
Higgins started superbly,
making a century in the first frame. Carter potted his first ball in frame
three and was ultimately left with too much to do.
So four of snooker's leading
lights are left to battle it out for the title. This is a great line-up and the
snooker will surely match the billing.
7 comments:
It must be the old Corinthian spirit in me but Joe Perry's honesty almost brings a tear to my eye. Magnificent.
Mat Wilson
This really is a good tournament.
I urge you to watch the final (Higgins v Trump) on Sunday if you can get the pictures
Higgins was impressive. Himself and ROS are different gravy to todays players.
Great final, whoever wins will prove something for very different reasons.
In the case off Higgins, he hasn't looked the same player for over a year and Trump has given off vibes that he is too big for his boots if you follow twitter.
Someone has to win and the loser will still harbour doubts as to how things are going for him.
Didn't someone once say snooker is a frame of mind?
If they didn't they should have.
What a match between trump and williams!
Feels like the season has finally started now.
Reaching a final, making a maximum and that frame Higgins stole to be 'just' 6-2 behind has proven he's still a major force (if people needed proof anyway). And now I see they're at 6-7! Great stuff from 2 players who still dominate, together with Ronnie and Robbo.
Brilliant Final
Makes the hours of watching worthwhile
Well done both
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