Stephen Maguire has won the Six Red World Championship for a second time after an 8-6 victory over John Higgins on Saturday in Bangkok, Thailand.
The all-Scottish final was an entertaining, see-saw one which saw Maguire taking a 3-0 lead, only for Higgins to win the next four, making it 4-3, to take a lead of his own.
The final showdown pitted two players who had just recently teamed up for their home country to capture the Snooker World Cup for the first time.
The contest was played in a good spirit in front of a packed house at the BCC Hall in Bangkok.
Maguire, who first claimed glory back in 2014 when he pipped Ricky Walden to glory and reached the semi-final in 2016 got off to a perfect start by taking a 3-0 lead, only for Higgins to retake the lead by winning the next four.
‘It feels good. I was very lucky,’ said Maguire. I’d like to thank the sponsor and promoter for putting up the tournament.
‘All of the boys enjoy this, and everyone loves coming out to Thailand.’
It has been a good start for the season for the Scot financially, having won the World Cup alongside fellow Scot Higgins, pocketing 81,000 pounds for it.
While there might be some argument that the Six Red Championship doesn’t mean as much, there’s no doubting the fact that winning gives a measure of confidence.
Higgins had no choice other than to settle for the runner-up cheque of 34,000 pounds as his search for a first Six Red title continues. The defeat represents a familiar feeling at this stage of a world final, having also lost the past three World Snooker Championship title deciders.
Maguire will now head straight for China next week for the Shanghai Masters with renewed zeal, knowing that he has already topped the podium twice so far this term.
The Shanghai Masters takes place on Monday and running through Sunday, with the event seeing the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan which will be his first appearance this season and a return to action of World Champion Judd Trump.
The 2019 Six Red World Championship was a success overall, with a decent crowd from start to finish at the BCC hall.
Stephen Maguire now becomes only the second plate after Mark Davis to become a multiple Six Red World Champion.
Written by: Aruorihwo Imisa