Higgins beats defending champion Carter (UK users only)
John Higgins beat defending champion Ali Carter 9-4 in the Welsh Open final.
Higgins, the reigning world champion who overcame Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-finals, surged into a 5-0 lead.
The Scot built up breaks of 95, 101, 137 and 81 as he punished Essex's Carter ruthlessly for any mistakes and led 6-2 going into the evening session.
The next four frames were evenly shared before Higgins snared the first frame after the mid-session interval with a superbly confident break of 76.
Higgins said afterwards: "I was delighted with the way I played for the first five frames. That was the best I'd ever felt really. I was just properly zoned in.
"It's hard to win any tournament these days with the quality of players around but I'm over the moon about winning the Welsh Open for a second time [having previously lifted the crown in 2000].
"The crowd here are one of the best. The Newport Centre is a great arena to play in."
The 11th frame, won by Carter, proved to be an extraordinary potting exhibition. Higgins opened with a break of 72, before missing a tough frame ball after potting nine reds and nine blacks as he set his sights on a 147 maximum.
Carter stepped to the table to coolly pot the six remaining reds and the colours for a break of 73 to win the frame by a single point.
That was as good as it got for Carter, however. The faintest sniff of a comeback appeared on the cards at 7-4, but Higgins won three in a row to seal his crown.
Carter said: "I was under all sorts of pressure and I was just glad to make a game of it. I would have been glad to get back to 7-5, but he's done me 9-4 in the end.
"The crowd have been great this week and I am disappointed I couldn't keep my title, but I had a good go."
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