John Higgins is through to the final of the £540,000 Liverpool Victoria UK Championship after beating Scottish rival Stephen Hendry 9-4 in Bournemouth tonight. Higgins, the 1998 UK champion, had made the most of Hendry's unforced errors, and a little misfortune, to leave the five-time winner with a mountain to climb after opening up a 6-2 lead before tonight's session.
Victory puts Higgins into his first final since he beat Hendry to win the Benson and Hedges Irish Masters last March. Hendry had beaten Higgins eight times from their previous 13 meetings. But the former World number one, who is now down to fifth in the provisional rankings, has not won a world ranking title since lifting the British Open trophy in September 1999.
Defending champion Mark Williams, who beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 9-4 on Friday, will face Higgins in tomorrow's best of 19 frames final. (PA)
Filed by Seán Folan
