UK Championship (2011) Day 4 - Higgins fails to defend title
 |
| Maguire knocks down defending champion |
The forth
day of this year's UK Championship ended with the defending champion being
unable to retain his title, John Higgins losing 6-4 to Stephen Maguire, while
last year world champion, Neil Robertson saw off the Scotsman Graeme Dott 6-3.
Unfortunately
for John Higgins he proved to be unable to retain the crown he won last year
after beating Mark Williams in a thrilling final 10-9.
This year,
he was to meet a fellow-country, the Scotsman Stephen Maguire, a player that he
beat during this year's Welsh Open final. And it seems like Maguire was out to
find revenge as he played the game in a very cool and calm way (you didn’t see
that too often on Maguire)
John on the
other side, started the battle of cues missing crucial balls, the interval
finding Maguire in charge of the situation and leading 3-1 (he hit a beautiful
144 in the process that at the moment is tournament's highest break).
 |
| John was unable to defend his UK Championship crown |
As the
players retuned from their mini-break, Stephen used runs of 57 and 66 to extend
his lead at 5-1 almost smelling the victory. However, that was going to wait a
bit.
The current
world champion found the strength to rise up his game and fired in breaks of 54
and 95 to pull back two incredible frames. He was trailing 5-4 and he was
heading towards a decider.
Sadly for
Higgins it didn't happen. Pressure started to kick in and so, during the 10th
frame, he missed a black off its pot, Maguire taking the chance and
turning it into a great 70 break that was sending him in the quarter-finals
where Judd Trump is eager to face him.
 |
| Robertson goes straight to the QFs |
At table
number two Neil Robertson was facing Graeme Dott in a very scrappy affair. And
I mean really scrappy. Both players struggled to find fluency and build themselves
nice and steady breaks, only during the final part of the match managing to do
so.
While Robbo
was the one who broke the ice, Dott took his chances with a re-spotted black to
draw level 1-1. Still, the interval was showing the Australian player leading
3-1. Dotty had to start potting some more balls.
After the
break the Scotsman pulled back a frame, but Robertson was sure to win the next
two and restored the two frames difference, now leading 5-2.
 |
| Graeme Dott's UK Championship dream is over |
One more
time Dott had the chance to clear the table for a re-spotted black that he
took, prolonging the suspense for one more frame.
In the end,
although he did hit a nice 60 break, Robbo cleared the table with a 68 for a
well-deserved 6-3 victory.
The
Australian is due to meet a very powerful opponent, the Chinese Ding Junhui, in
the next round.
Below you
can check Day 4 list of results:
Ronnie
O'Sullivan 5-6 Judd Trump
Ding Junhui
6-5 Matthew Stevens
John
Higgins 4-6 Stephen Maguire
Graeme Dott
3-6 Neil Robertson
*the
article for the first two matches can be read here.
Tomorrow
the action continues with the last half of the Last 16:
12.30pm
Mark
Williams v. Ricky Walden
Martin
Gould v. Shaun Murphy
7pm
Mark Selby
v. Marco Fu
Ali Carter
v. Mark Allen
*all hours
are UK
time
TV
coverage:
12:30 -
15:30 British EuroSport
12:30 -
15:30 British EuroSport 2
13:00 -
15:45 BBC Two
15:30 -
17:30 British EuroSport
19:00 -
22:00 British EuroSport 2
19:45 -
22:00 British EuroSport
23:30 -
00:20 BBC Two (the highlights)
Also, you
can watch the lads online at www.sportlemon.tv and at mypremium.tv
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