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DEFENDING champion John Higgins stormed into the draw for the semi finals of the Grand Prix after disposing of Mark Allen 5-1.
Higgins looked in good form throughout, that with the exception of a few hiccups in his potting looked in good working order. And combined with his safety game it was more than enough to put the Northern Ireland youngster firmly in his place.
Yet Allen was not without his chances, though he failed to capitalise on opportunities that were available against the world champion. No more so than in the opening frame when Allen did the spade work by drilling in a long red, splitting the reds and making 31 only to miss a simple green to the "yellow" pocket. Left an easy red to the corner Higgins quickly wiped out the initial lead that Allen had established by firing in a 66 break to take the first frame.
Higgins, mindful of the fright Allen had given him in the semi finals of the world championships before the Scot edged into the Sheffield showpiece final was intent on keeping Mark under pressure and after a break of 46 stepped up the pressure with his safety game and a forced an error from Allen who caught his safety far too thinly. With all the balls scattered and nothing of note out of commission Higgins made sure of the frame with a 44 break.
Allen's afternoon was fast becoming one he'd rather forget as after gifted a chance from John he was only able to make 41. In trying to continue his break he only succeeded in overcutting it to the corner. As the black rolled away so too did the last real chance Mark was to have as Higgins stepped in with an easy starter of a red to the centre and went on to make 72 to establish a commanding lead.
To stay in realistic contention Mark badly needed the fourth frame the signs for Mark did not look good with his safety play giving John two decent chances. Much to Mark's relief John started to miss a few simple balls- not the Mark was stringing much in the way of points together as they reached the colours with Higgins holding a 46-25 advantage. After fluking a red John chose to put the pink "safe" rather than playing a snooker. And it was a mistake that Mark punished him for as in laying a snooker on the yellow with the cue ball hidden behind the blue Higgins gave a way six penalty points by hitting the pink on his escape. With the yellow close to the top corner pocket and the cue ball on the baulk line Mark powered in the yellow and cleared up to the pink to steal the frame.
Fighting hard to stay in the tournament Allen pounced on a red that Higgins left over the baulk corner pocket. Sinking a red to the centre, Mark going well on a break of 37 left himself with a tricky red with the cue ball tight under the side cushion. Using a little bit of side Allen negotiated the red and went on to make 73 before leaving a red sitting over a corner pocket. It was the last mistake he was to make. Higgins needed two snookers and fired in an initial 32. With the help of the rest Higgins left the final red behind the pink and the cue ball in baulk. The cue ball slipped round the back of the red and the agony on Mark's face was obvious as the four penalty points was compounded by a free ball. Higgins calmly dispatched the blue as his free ball- sank the blue and then cleared up with a break of 41.
It was all over then and there and Higgins needed only ten minutes to complete the formalities as he rolled in a long red to the "yellow" pocket and cruised through a break of 96 to wrap up victory in front of his home fans, leaving the arena with a smile the size of the River Clyde etched on his face.
Elsewhere Neil Robertson eased his way into the semi final draw with a 5-1 victory over his friend Joe Perry.
Perry, down to 22nd in the provisional world rankings had a dream start against the Australian as he took full advantage of Neil's errant safety to fire in a 60 break before a horrific kick on the pink sent him back to his seat and presented Robertson with a simple opening red only to break down on 11 in using the rest for a red. Even worse there was a red on the cushion that was duly sunk by Perry as he cleared to the blue with a break of 37.
Perry too should have taken the second frame as they came to the colours. Leading 54-43 and looked set for a 2-0 lead. Inexplicably he missed the frame ball brown at close range and Robertson hardly daring to believe the chance he had been gaifted potted brown, blue, pink and black to steal the frame.
And how Robertson cashed in as he made Perry pay for such an elementary error after Joe missed a simple red to the centre pocket took full advantage to fire in a break of 100, and the 95th of his professional career. The fourth frame too went the way of the world number nine from Melbourne who took full advantage of an overcut red to the centre from Perry to rattle in a break of 67 to move into a 3-1 lead at the mid session interval.
The fifteen minute interval only served to allow Joe to dwell on that missed brown even more as he failed on the resumption to put Neil under any pressure in the fifth frame. As they arrived at the colours Robertson trailed 24-48 but he forced a safety error from Joe and with the help of a clever cannon on the brown cleared up to increase his lead to 4-1
Demoralised Joe then was forced to sit in his chair and reflect on what might have been as he gifted Neil an easy starter of red to the centre. The Australian in full control of the match signed off in style with a break of 103 to put Joe out of his misery and move into the last four.
Suzy Jardine
Higgins looked in good form throughout, that with the exception of a few hiccups in his potting looked in good working order. And combined with his safety game it was more than enough to put the Northern Ireland youngster firmly in his place.
Yet Allen was not without his chances, though he failed to capitalise on opportunities that were available against the world champion. No more so than in the opening frame when Allen did the spade work by drilling in a long red, splitting the reds and making 31 only to miss a simple green to the "yellow" pocket. Left an easy red to the corner Higgins quickly wiped out the initial lead that Allen had established by firing in a 66 break to take the first frame.
Higgins, mindful of the fright Allen had given him in the semi finals of the world championships before the Scot edged into the Sheffield showpiece final was intent on keeping Mark under pressure and after a break of 46 stepped up the pressure with his safety game and a forced an error from Allen who caught his safety far too thinly. With all the balls scattered and nothing of note out of commission Higgins made sure of the frame with a 44 break.
Allen's afternoon was fast becoming one he'd rather forget as after gifted a chance from John he was only able to make 41. In trying to continue his break he only succeeded in overcutting it to the corner. As the black rolled away so too did the last real chance Mark was to have as Higgins stepped in with an easy starter of a red to the centre and went on to make 72 to establish a commanding lead.
To stay in realistic contention Mark badly needed the fourth frame the signs for Mark did not look good with his safety play giving John two decent chances. Much to Mark's relief John started to miss a few simple balls- not the Mark was stringing much in the way of points together as they reached the colours with Higgins holding a 46-25 advantage. After fluking a red John chose to put the pink "safe" rather than playing a snooker. And it was a mistake that Mark punished him for as in laying a snooker on the yellow with the cue ball hidden behind the blue Higgins gave a way six penalty points by hitting the pink on his escape. With the yellow close to the top corner pocket and the cue ball on the baulk line Mark powered in the yellow and cleared up to the pink to steal the frame.
Fighting hard to stay in the tournament Allen pounced on a red that Higgins left over the baulk corner pocket. Sinking a red to the centre, Mark going well on a break of 37 left himself with a tricky red with the cue ball tight under the side cushion. Using a little bit of side Allen negotiated the red and went on to make 73 before leaving a red sitting over a corner pocket. It was the last mistake he was to make. Higgins needed two snookers and fired in an initial 32. With the help of the rest Higgins left the final red behind the pink and the cue ball in baulk. The cue ball slipped round the back of the red and the agony on Mark's face was obvious as the four penalty points was compounded by a free ball. Higgins calmly dispatched the blue as his free ball- sank the blue and then cleared up with a break of 41.
It was all over then and there and Higgins needed only ten minutes to complete the formalities as he rolled in a long red to the "yellow" pocket and cruised through a break of 96 to wrap up victory in front of his home fans, leaving the arena with a smile the size of the River Clyde etched on his face.
Elsewhere Neil Robertson eased his way into the semi final draw with a 5-1 victory over his friend Joe Perry.
Perry, down to 22nd in the provisional world rankings had a dream start against the Australian as he took full advantage of Neil's errant safety to fire in a 60 break before a horrific kick on the pink sent him back to his seat and presented Robertson with a simple opening red only to break down on 11 in using the rest for a red. Even worse there was a red on the cushion that was duly sunk by Perry as he cleared to the blue with a break of 37.
Perry too should have taken the second frame as they came to the colours. Leading 54-43 and looked set for a 2-0 lead. Inexplicably he missed the frame ball brown at close range and Robertson hardly daring to believe the chance he had been gaifted potted brown, blue, pink and black to steal the frame.
And how Robertson cashed in as he made Perry pay for such an elementary error after Joe missed a simple red to the centre pocket took full advantage to fire in a break of 100, and the 95th of his professional career. The fourth frame too went the way of the world number nine from Melbourne who took full advantage of an overcut red to the centre from Perry to rattle in a break of 67 to move into a 3-1 lead at the mid session interval.
The fifteen minute interval only served to allow Joe to dwell on that missed brown even more as he failed on the resumption to put Neil under any pressure in the fifth frame. As they arrived at the colours Robertson trailed 24-48 but he forced a safety error from Joe and with the help of a clever cannon on the brown cleared up to increase his lead to 4-1
Demoralised Joe then was forced to sit in his chair and reflect on what might have been as he gifted Neil an easy starter of red to the centre. The Australian in full control of the match signed off in style with a break of 103 to put Joe out of his misery and move into the last four.
Suzy Jardine
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