Snooker triumph for Maguire

Newly crowned European Open champion Stephen Maguire was still pinching himself when he arrived home in Glasgow yesterday £48,000 better off.

Maguire, who will be 23 on Saturday, headed to Malta last week with low expectations but beat five members of the game's top 16 to clinch the first title of his five-year professional career.

The world number 41 followed up victories over Peter Ebdon, Joe Perry, John Higgins and Stephen Lee with a 9-3 hammering of Jimmy White in the final.

His title triumph was even more remarkable considering Maguire had previously failed to get past the last 16 of a ranking event.

Nobody has ever doubted his talent since former practice partner Stephen Hendry suggested he could one day become world champion when Maguire was still only 17.

The next tournament on the snooker calendar is the Citywest Irish Masters, which takes place in Dublin from March 20-28.