Sport category: Billiards Lee takes Welsh Open title
Date: 10-03-2006 14:16
Stephen Lee defeated world champion Shaun Murphy 9-4 to take the Welsh Open title in Newport on Sunday. The 31-year-old raced into a 4-0 lead before Murphy pegged him back to 4-3, but won five of the next six frames to win the fourth ranking event of his career.
Lee - who had led 8-6 in the 2000 final, only to lose 9-8 to John Higgins - played some impeccable snooker in the opening frames, including a 120 break in the fourth, to open up a four-frame lead.
But Murphy fought back to trail 5-3 at the mid-session interval.
MISSED BLACK
The Rotherham potter had a chance to level matters in the eighth frame, but missed a black - something Lee said helped him in his post-match interview.
"I lost my concentration at 4-0 and I was lucky Shaun missed the black to make it 4-4," he admitted.
"It wasn't an easy black but I expected him to pot it. In the end I'm pleased that I brought our glimpses of my best form. That's encouraging for the rest of the season."
Lee took the ninth frame with breaks of 26 and 62, but Murphy hit straight back in the next, a break of 40 enough to reduce arrears to 6-4.
But Lee won a scrappy next two frames to move within touching distance of the title at 8-4, and the Trowbridge cueist sealed the victory with a superb break of 71 in the 13th.
Speaking after the match, Murphy - playing in only his second ranking final following his shock World Championship victory last year - admitted the better man won on the day.
"It was my first time playing in Wales so it wasn't a bad week," said the 23-year-old. "It's just a shame I couldn't finish the job off.
"I had some good results but you're judged by what you do on the day and I wasn't good enough in the final."
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Stephen Lee defeated world champion Shaun Murphy 9-4 to take the Welsh Open title in Newport on Sunday. The 31-year-old raced into a 4-0 lead before Murphy pegged him back to 4-3, but won five of the next six frames to win the fourth ranking event of his career.