Maguire Wins SangSom 6-Red World Championship for Second Time
Stephen Maguire won a tartan tussle against John Higgins 8-6 in the final of the SangSom 6-Red World Championship to win the title for the second time in Bangkok.
It’s a first individual title for world number 15 Maguire since he won the 2014 Lisbon Open. He also won the 6-Red title earlier that year.
In an exciting final, Glasgow’s 38-year-old Maguire pulled away from 6-6 to win the last two frames, taking the trophy and top prize of four million Baht (£106,000) at the invitation event in the Thai capital.
It’s his second title of the season as he teamed up with 44-year-old Higgins to win the World Cup for Scotland in China in June. This time the two friends and practice partners went head to head, with Higgins playing in the Six Red final for the first time.
Maguire took an early 3-0 lead before world number five Higgins stormed back with four frames in a row. Frame eight went to Maguire and he nicked the ninth on the black to lead 5-4.
He won the tenth as well then squandered a clear chance in the 11th, missing a red to a centre pocket. Four time World Champion Higgins cleared the table then made a break of 58 in the 12th to level at 6-6.
With the match in the balance, Maguire made a vital break of 39 to regain the lead at 7-6. And he got the better of a tense 14th frame, the score 34-18, to secure the title.
“It feels good, I was very lucky,” said Maguire. “I’d like to thank the sponsor and promoter for putting on the tournament. All of the boys enjoy this, everyone loves coming out to Thailand.”
Both players now head to China for the £751,000 Shanghai Masters, which starts on Monday. Click here for the match schedule.
