Higgins survives titanic semifinal

By Geet Sethi

SHEFFIELD, MAY 6. Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins commenced their 35 frames marathon on Sunday afternoon to decide this year's winner of the Embassy World snooker championship. The prestige of being crowned world champion and a winners' cheque of œ250,000 will be two compelling reasons which will drive two of the most talented cueists to give off their best.

O'Sullivan's 17-11 victory over Joe Swail provides him the opportunity to do justice to his talent and fulfil his inherent potential. Ever since he made his first century at the age 10, O'Sullivan has dreamed of winning the final of the most prestigious event. His inability to achieve that dream until now, results from his problem of sporadic depression and volatile mood swings, which have plagued him ever since his father was convicted for life for killing a man in a nightclub brawl nine years ago.

This year, he seems calm and more importantly has displayed a willingness to adjust his game to the demands of the situation. He has won frames exhibiting sparkling genius and has shown an unusual restraint when the need to indulge in tactical exchanges has arisen. Discarding his reluctance to win frames with toil and labour and combining it with his fizzy talent and uninhibited bursts of scoring, he has come across the assuaging formula, which should hopefully allow him to keep his date with destiny.

For Higgins, who survived a titanic semifinal struggle and overcame Mathew Stevens 17-15, a second world title - he won the event in 1998 defeating Ken Doherty 18-12 in the final - will provide him the opportunity to be considered as one of the great players of the modern era.

Ever since the world championship came to the Crucible Theatre in 1976, only three cueists have won the title more than once - Ray Reardon 1976 & 78, Steve Davis in 1981, 83, 84, 87, 88 & 89 and Stephen Hendry in 1990, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96 & 99. While it would be premature to compare his achievements with Davis and Hendry, a second title here would certainly guarantee his inclusion into that elite list and allow him to lay the foundation to be one day compared with Davis and Hendry.

Yet, he realises that the task ahead is daunting and requires an effort which is perhaps greater than the sum total of all the energies that he has expended in the four matches which has seen him reach the last leg of a journey which commenced more than two weeks ago. He had worked out persuasive victories over Graeme Dott 10-4, Chris Small 13-8, and Ken Doherty 13-6 in the opening three rounds respectively but in the fiercely contested semifinal that lasted 10 hrs 30 minutes, his skills, stamina and endurance were tested to the limit. ``I hope it hasn't taken too much out of me. I've got another mountain to climb against Ronnie. He is playing very well.''

Appearing in his fifth successive semifinal, the 26- year-old Scot emerged unscathed from an encounter, which left his opponent bruised and aching. For Stevens, 23, the niggling pain of losing will remain for some time to come. He had matched Higgins, shot for shot, break for break and perhaps enjoyed the psychological edge when he led 13-11 coming into the last nine- frame session.

An array of 11 breaks over the fifty mark including two centuries, a 100 in the opening frame and a 133 in the 10th frame allowed Stevens to establish a 13-11 advantage at the conclusion of the third session on Saturday morning. The 133 was his 100th tournament century, a feat achieved by only 14 other professionals.

But in the crucial fourth and final session, Stevens stumbled. Invaded with the first doubts of insecurity when Higgins won three successive frames to convert a two-frame arrear into a 14- 13 lead, the World No. 6 was afflicted with a dreaded bout of twitching, which surfaced towards the concluding stages of the intriguing and fiercely contested match.

While Higgins uncorked breaks of 50, 46 and 75, taking his total of 50 plus breaks in the match to seven, Stevens missed a straightforward black into the top, a routine red cut and failed twice, in controlling the cue ball to find the security of the baulk cushion.

Stevens managed to temporarily overcome his edginess and responded with 59 in the 28th frame to level at 14-14 and then helped with a timely fluke which saw him potting the yellow in the centre pocket and a 71, he won the 29th frame to once again go ahead 15-14. But a series of errors from Stevens, the highlight being another missed yellow in a baulk pocket and decisive runs of 69 and 73 from his opponent saw the Scot lead 16-15.

The drama and variety of emotion on display in a one hour two minute last frame, by far the longest of the championship and the series of unforced errors provided an enthralling and riveting climax to the contest. In the end, an early 22 by Higgins, a missed black off the spot by Stevens, a fluked green by Higgins and Stevens's inability to get out of a routine snooker allowed Higgins to win the frame 69-44.

The result (semifinal - best of 33 frames): John Higgins bt Mathew Stevens 17-15. 9-108 (100), 70-15, 85 (53)-5, 91-37, 31-68 (68), 95 (95)-32, 92 (92)-41, 56 (56)-70 (70), 27-79 (52), 0-134 (133), 0-86)73), 72-67 (59), 126 (126)-1, 65-51, 8-61 (53), 5-67 (55), 1-70 (54), 38-71 (51), 121 (121)-7, 81-18, 14-67, 59-31, 57-82, 58-68, 85-21, 73-37, 87 (75)-0, 18-84 (59), 45-78 (71), 83 (69)- 44, 73 (73)-0, 69-440.

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