Higgins finishes top of the league after win over O'Sullivan - 19/11/2009

RONNIE O'SULLIVAN 2-4 JOHN HIGGINS
O'Sullivan's scores first
0-72 (Higgins 72), 15-70 (Higgins 64), 134-0 (O'Sullivan 129), 0-107 (Higgins 107), 0-128 (Higgins 119), 76-48 (O'Sullivan 68, Higgins 44)

JOHN Higgins ensured he would finish top at the end of the league phase in the 2009 PartyCasino.com Premier League Snooker competition.

Reigning World Champion John Higgins beat World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-2 in front of a packed crowd at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales. Both players could be relaxed as they were already guaranteed spots in the final four. Higgins qualified last week, while Stephen Hendry's shock 5-1 defeat against Marco Fu earlier in the night meant O'Sullivan had also clamed a semi-final spot.

The fans were treated to a masterclass of snooker in probably the highest quality match in the 2009 PartyCasino.com Premier League Snooker season.

"When John plays like that he is the best player in the world," admitted O'Sullivan. "He doesn't play a wrong shot and his safety is very good - he's a fantastic player. I had my work cut out and played a couple of bad shots off the break and it cost me the match.

"John is playing with a lot of confidence and feeling good about himself and he's one of those players who when he's on form you have to be as well. If you get a chance you have to put him under pressure and if you don't he will stamp on you."

Higgins won the opener with a break of 70 and he had been on course for a 147, which would have been the first made under the 25-second shot clock rule, but faultered on a red. The second frame was over quickly as well as Higgins compiled another sizeable break, this time 64.

O'Sullivan stormed through the third frame with a break of 129 before Higgins ended his record of being the only player in this year's competition to not make a century break with a fine 107 clearance in the fourth.

Higgins continued the amazing run in the next with another century, the third in successive frames, as the fans lapped up every skilful shot. Higgins claimed a break of 119, although got a bit fortunate on 87 when his attempted pot on a red missed but rolled along the top cushion and into the opposite pocket.

There had been a break of at least 50 in every frame and that continued throughout the match as O'Sullivan, helped by a score of 68, claimed the last frame but lost the match 4-2.