Higgins wins Masters in tense thriller

John Higgins had plenty to savour as he was crowned the new SAGA Insurance Masters champion following a memorable last-frame victory over defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

This season’s Grand Prix winner trailed 3-0, but fought back in admirable fashion to beat the world number one 10-9 in an amazing final.

It was seven years ago that Wizard of Wishaw Higgins won his first Masters crown with a 10-8 win over Dubliner Ken Doherty.

Higgins was thumped 10-3 by O’Sullivan in last year’s Masters final and also lost to O’Sullivan in the 1995 decider.

But world number six Higgins was determined to produce a polished performance this time around in the last time this tournament will be staged at the Wembley Conference Centre after 27 successful years.

The match swayed from side to side. Higgins winning five frames on the spin having trailed following the loss of the opening three frames.

And, despite O’Sullivan three-times hitting back to level (5-5, 7-7 and 8-8), and having led 9-8, it was Scot Higgins who held his nerve to halt the Rocket’s charge for successive titles.

O’Sullivan won the opening frame, which dragged on for 40 minutes, with a good long pot on a pink and then turned on the style in the next two frames.

The world number one pocketed a wonderful 139 break, the highest of the tournament thus far, which earned him £10,000 (€14,500) worth of extra prize money.

Incredibly, in the very next frame he knocked in an excellent 138, the previous tournament high, set by Peter Ebdon against Stuart Bingham in the second round.

However, O’Sullivan’s dominance ended there as Higgins hit back.

A break of 73 in the fourth frame saw Scot Higgins reduce his arrears, before an 80 run made it 3-2.

It was soon 3-3 after a very scrappy sixth frame, which Higgins shaded 48-20.

Higgins then went ahead for the first time in the match. The seventh frame lasted over half an hour, but Higgins won it after O’Sullivan conceded with no reds left on the table.

He trailed by 39 points and needed snookers, so sensibly cut his losses.

Higgins’ fightback continued in the eighth and final frame of the session. He knocked in a 45 break and a run of 25 to edge 5-3 ahead at the interval.

The resumption, though, saw O’Sullivan claw back to level in little over 23 minutes.

A break of 91 was enough to reduce his deficit to 5-4, before runs of 44 and 56 in the 10th saw the match go all square for only the second time.

The balance of power swung again as Higgins re-established his two-frame cushion.

Breaks of 61 and 68 saw the 1998 world champion hit back to lead 7-5.

Surprise, surprise, O’Sullivan fought back to 7-7 thanks to a 48 break in the 13th frame and a wonderful century – his third and the third of the match – in the next.

Higgins then pocketed a 62 break to edge ahead within two frames of victory only for O’Sullivan to level at 8-8 with the just the black ball left on the table.

As the pressure got to both players, O’Sullivan then edged 9-8 ahead but Higgins, though, dug deep and made sure the match went to a dramatic final-frame decider with a pressure break of 40.

The final frame saw O’Sullivan pot a superb 60 break, which stemmed from a brilliant long red.

Higgins had a chance to get back in, missed a red, and O’Sullivan could have cleared.

But the match went the distance and Higgins held his nerve with a wonderful 64 clearance, winning on the black ball, to win his second Masters title.