EPTC5 Scottish Open

Ding Junhui secured his first title of the season by defeating Anthony McGill 4-2 in the final of the final event of 2012, the Scottish Open. It was the first tournament the Chinese player had won since his victory in Championship League snooker back in March and sees him move up to sixth in the PTC Order of merit. His opponent, world number 53 McGill, had never reached a final in his professional career, the biggest feat he’d achieved was reaching the latter stages of the 2011 German Masters.

But the Scot found himself behind in the final after Ding secured the first frame with a break of 71 although he hit back with a top break of 37 to win frame two. Ding went back ahead with a break of 77in frame three but McGill once again levelled the scores by winning the fourth with a 66 break though he would take the lead for the first time with a healthy lead in frame five but a poor positional shot left him in a Chinese snooker on frame ball and his missed the red into the middle pocket, allowing Ding to take the frame. And the two-time UK Championship winner rounded off the match, claiming €12,000 in the process by taking frame six.

McGill was certainly made to work hard for his place in the final, beating Mark Davis, Robert Milkins and Nigel Bond to reach the quarter finals. He then came from 3-0 behind to beat Thai player Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon 4-3 in the quarters before defeating Andrew Higginson by the same scoreline on a re-spotted black after requiring two snookers in the decider. Ding meanwhile, defeated Ken Doherty 4-1 in the semi-finals with the Irishman’s great run in the competition securing a place in the PTC Grand Finals in March.

Doherty had earlier beaten a recently resurgent Mark Joyce 4-2 in the quarter finals. Joyce, spurred on by his recent defeat of Judd Trump in the UK Championship, had defeated Mark Allen 4-3 in his last 64 match. The other quarter-finals saw Ding beat Ian Burns 4-1 whilst Higginson defeated Martin O’Donnell 4-2.