England's Stephen Lee has won the Regal Scottish Open with a blistering 9-2 win over giant-killer David Gray. The victory gives Lee his second ranking title of the season after his triumph in the LG Cup last October.
The world number eight built up a 6-2 first session lead and Gray, who had knocked out John Higgins, Stephen Hendry and defending champion Peter Ebdon in earlier rounds, was unable to stop the rot when play resumed. It took Lee only an hour to clinch the three frames he needed for victory and a cheque for £82,500.
"You never really know how you're going to feel in a final but by the first interval I'd settled down and then I felt really good. This is all down to preparation. I've worked harder this season than I have before and it's nice to see it paying off," said Lee, who came back from 5-1 down to win 6-5 in his semi-final with Nigel Bond.
Gray paid tribute to his opponent afterwards and admitted his game never really got going like it did in previous rounds. "Stephen played very well and beat me in every department, but I never really got going at all. I felt cold out there and I think the occasion may have got to me. Having said that, Stephen didn't let me settle."
Filed by Tom Grealis
