DOHERTY TAKES MALTA CUP
Ken Doherty was crowned the new Malta Cup champion following a memorable last-frame victory over John Higgins.
Doherty started well by winning the first frame, with Higgins taking the second and third but the 36-year-old Irishman grabbed four consecutive frames to close the afternoon session 5-2 in the lead.
But in the evening session the Scotsman hit back in style winning six frames in a row to make it 8-5 and pile up pressure on his opponent who held on his nerves and halted Higgins run by taking the next three frames so as to go to the final and deciding frame, which also went his way.
Besides for the new champion it was his sixth ranking tournament in his career.
Before Sunday’s match the two players met each other 18 times, with Higgins winning 12, while took on each other in four finals, with the Scotsman again winning three of them.
Final Result
John Higgins (Scotland) 8-9 Ken Doherty (Ireland)
8-86 (67) 69-49 78-28 53-71 (65) 28-76 (55) 27-105 (105) 56-75 67-53 89-8 (55) 90-23 (90) 75-50 130-4 (114) 96-0 (96) 43-64 5-67 (61) 12-60 0-69 (63)
