Paul Hunter - fine comeback
BENSON & HEDGES MASTERS
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Paul Hunter staged a brilliant comeback to win the Benson & Hedges Masters
title with a dramatic 10-9 win over gallant Irishman Fergal O'Brien.
Leeds-based Hunter produced an inspired display after trailing his Dublin
opponent 5-1 and 7-3.
The 22-year-old compiled four century breaks in six frames including a
tournament highest-equalling 136.
It enabled him to lead 9-8 and when he opened up a 44-0 advantage in frame 18
O'Brien looked dead and buried.
However, O'Brien won the 33-minute penultimate frame to set up the decider.
O'Brien had his chances to become the first Irishman to win the Masters since
Dennis Taylor in 1987 but he struck a red in error trying to pot the black when
leading 33-14 and later missed an easy green.
Eventually Hunter kept his nerve to take a 46-minute decider 77-44 to pocket a
£175,000 first prize. O'Brien collected £88,000 as consolation but he knows the
title could have been his. Hunter's amazing win brought him only the second Major title of his career and
proud father Alan was among the first people to congratulate the new champion.
He held his son's arm aloft in a victory salute before a sell-out crowd of
almost 2,500, most of whom stayed to watch the final stages of the drama
unfold.
"When I knocked out the defending champion, Matthew Stevens, in the my first
match I thought to myself I could win this title," said Hunter, whose win made
up for the disappointment of losing to Ken Doherty just two weeks ago in the
Welsh Open final at Cardiff.
"Early on I couldn't keep my concentration together but I had a lot of
support out there and I wanted to win it for my supporters. They were
fantastic," added Hunter.
"To add my name to this trophy is a dream come true. I perhaps haven't
fulfilled my potential but I'm only 22 and hopefully there are a lot more titles
left in me."
O'Brien suffered the same fate as his Nations Cup team-mate Doherty who had
lost in the Wembley final for the past two seasons.
"I missed a red in the 11th frame when I had a good chance to go 8-3 up,"
said the sad Irishman. "If that had gone in and I'd have won the frame I think
I would have gone on to take the title.
"It's disappointing to lose like I did but I've had a great week and beaten
some fantastic players.
"I was a little tired but that's not an excuse. But I'll replay some of those
misses in the last frame for some time to come."
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