Brilliant Fu claims Glasgow glory

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Marco Fu wins eight frames running to beat John Higgins in Scottish Open final.



Marco Fu came from 4-1 down to beat John Higgins 9-4 in the final of the Coral Scottish Open in Glasgow.

Higgins had started the match brilliantly with three consecutive centuries, but he was then outplayed by his opponent and denied the chance to capture a title on home turf just a few miles from Wishaw.

Instead Hong Kong's Fu won eight frames in a row to land the third world ranking title of his career and the £70,000 top prize as well as the inaugural Stephen Hendry Trophy, presented by snooker's most successful ever player.

Victory caps off a magnificent week for Fu in which he has played the best snooker of his career. In winning 36 frames in seven matches, the 38-year-old made a remarkable 11 centuries and 21 more breaks over 50.

Fu started the current season poorly, failing to get beyond the last 32 of a ranking event until the recent UK Championship, where he reached the semi-finals. He has gone up another gear again this week to win his first ranking title since the 2013 Australian Open. It's also his second ranking crown in Scotland having won the Grand Prix in Aberdeen in 2007.

Fu, who has now won nine of his 15 meetings with Higgins, jumps from 14th in the world to eighth.

World number three Higgins missed out on the chance to win a 29th career ranking title, which would have put him ahead of Steve Davis and Ronnie O'Sullivan on the all-time list and just seven behind Hendry's record of 36.

Tied at 4-4 after the first session Fu won the opening frame tonight by building a 58-6 lead then surviving his opponent's attempts to gain a snooker on the colours. That put Fu ahead for the first time in the match and he gathered momentum with a break of 89 to lead 6-4.

Fu looked set to take frame 11 until he missed a short range pot on the last red to a centre pocket. Higgins had the chance to strike a hammer blow by clearing the table, but he lost position on the pink then left a tough thin cut on the black, playing with the rest, in the jaws of a top corner. Fu slotted in the black to go three frames ahead.

Higgins had lost six frames in a row at that point, and he had to chance to stop the rot early in the next, but only made 24 before missing a red to a centre pocket. After a safety exchange, Fu rolled in a brilliant pot on a red along the length of the side cushion, setting him up for a run of 59 which proved enough to make it 8-4 at the interval.

Fu looked to be cruising over the winning line in frame 14 until he missed a red to a baulk corner on 60. Higgins had one last chance and made 27 before failing to gain position on the last red. When he accidentally knocked the pink in when trying to play safe his hopes were fading, and the handshake came when he left the green over a corner pocket.

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