Ronnie O'Sullivan maintained his vice-like grip on the Premier League, claiming a fourth straight title in Aberdeen.
Essex potter wins fourth Premier crown
Ronnie O'Sullivan maintained his vice-like grip on the Premier League, claiming a fourth straight title with a 7-4 win over John Higgins in the final in Aberdeen.
The Englishman headed north never having lost a frame in his three previous Premier League finals.
That record disappeared in the opening frame, but although the final was tight for six frames, O'Sullivan found a crucial edge in the quality of his cueing in the second half of an enthralling match.
World champion Higgins won the opening frame with a break of 73 after O'Sullivan missed a simple red, but the defending champion hit back by winning the next two.
Deficit
He made a 54 break to level after a rare safety exchange, then recovered from a 45 deficit with a 67 break to lead 2-1.
Back came Higgins to win a scrappy fourth frame, then had back-to-back runs of 35 to lead again.
The sixth frame belonged to O'Sullivan, who won it with an 80 break which could have been a century only for the yellow to catch in the jaws.
O'Sullivan did get his century in the seventh, making a superb 104 total clearance after Higgins had opened with 29 before missing a red into the middle with the balls well spread.
Cueing
The Essex potter was cueing wonderfully by now and got his next run under way with a stunning cut into the middle, going on to make 86 and opening up a two-frame deficit for the first time in the match.
The Rocket was punishing Higgins ruthlessly for any mistake and when the Scot caught a red in the jaws of the black pocket with the rest, O'Sullivan hammered him with a 110 clearance.
But Higgins refused to wilt in front of his own crowd and came back gutsily in the next to pull the score back to 6-4.
O'Sullivan got in first in the next with a break of 28 then got back into the balls with a magnificent long red from tight on the balk rail. A break of 69 wrapped up his first title in nine months.
Higgins' consolation was prize money of £25,000, while O'Sullivan walked away with £50,000.
"It's a good record and that was my toughest match that I've had in four Premier League finals," O'Sullivan told
Sky Sports.
"John looked like going ahead at the beginning but I managed to stick in there.
"If it wasn't for the shot-clock he probably would have won, but this shot-clock plays tricks with your mind and it probably suits me more than it suits everyone else. I was a bit fortunate."
Higgins added: "When he can senses danger there is nobody better at killing you off and that's what he's done tonight."
