Snooker: Ebdon streaks to British Open title

An in-form opponent, partisan crowd and even a streaker could not prevent Peter Ebdon capturing the British Open title in Plymouth. World number 12 Ebdon defeated perennial crowd favourite Jimmy White 9-6 to claim the £62,000 first prize and deny the peoples' champion his first world ranking title in eight years. Diane Phillips, a 22-year-old student from Plymouth, treated the crowd to some added entertainment by streaking early on in the 14th frame, and planting a kiss on each player.

But it was White's frailties that were laid bare towards the end as Ebdon stepped up a gear to win his third world ranking title, and his first since he claimed the Thailand Open in 1997. The 30-year-old trailed 5-4 but won five of the next six frames to clinch the title and move up to sixth place on the provisional world ranking list. "I've worked very hard in the last couple of months and was determined to do well," Ebdon said, "But full credit to Jimmy. He played some solid stuff and kept me off the table for long periods - however, I've got plenty of experience and used that to my advantage."

Ebdon was not put off by the streaker and, far from having his concentration broken, he went on to make a break of 120 after receiving the unexpected kiss. "I thought she smelt very nice," Ebdon joked, "I wouldn't like to say what she did for me but it didn't seem to affect me at all." Breaks of 59 and 42 were instrumental in White taking a 2-0 lead by Ebdon, who has beaten three top eight-ranked players during the week, pieced together runs of 44, 42 and 39 to make it 2-2. White reclaimed the lead at 3-2 with a break of 57 before Ebdon levelled again by fashioning a run of 59 in the sixth frame. A break of 54 from White, who was attempting to win his first ranking title since he lifted the UK crown in 1992, gave him a 4-3 advantage but Ebdon responded with contributions of 41 and 53 in the last of the afternoon to square the match.

On the resumption, White made a considered 41 to the brown to lead 5-4 but Ebdon made 80 to level again at 5-5, and cleared with 63 from 5-58 down in the 11th frame to go ahead for the first time. Ebdon then produced breaks of 50 and 57 to lead 7-5, only for White to comfortably account for the next to trail by one again. Following the streak, Ebdon rattled in a break of 120 and finished off the match in the 15th frame by knocking in a superb last red from distance and clearing up to claim his third world ranking title.

Filed by Pat Nugent