Higgins - claimed dramatic win.

KING JOHN ECLIPSES WILLIAMS

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John Higgins captured the first major title of the new season with a superb 7-4 comeback win over Mark Williams in the Champions Cup final at Brighton this afternoon.

Higgins, 26, reeled off five frames without reply to claim a £100,000 first prize - the third largest winner's pot on offer this term.

For Williams there was a runners-up prize of £35,000 but that was of little consolation to the Welsh left hander following another final failure.

Williams collapsed after making breaks of 100 and 124 to lead 4-2 and he has now lost in 10 of his last 14 finals.

"I had plenty of chances, in fact chances in almost every frame," said the disappointed loser.

"So to lose leaves me feeling sick. I gave it to John and I guess it was meant to be his day.

"I have been losing in finals for five years and normally I don't care. But I have tried my guts out to win the tournament and in the end I blew it."

It was the second time in the competition Higgins had got the better of the world number one. After a black ball 5-4 defeat in the group stages.

But Williams appeared to be heading for a revenge win as he took command early on. He led 2-0 only for Higgins to level at 2-2 by the mid-session interval.

On the resumption Williams restored his two-frame cushion before Higgins began to fire. The Scot levelled again at 4-4 helped by a break of 109 in frame eight.

He hit the front for the first time as the pair traded half centuries in the ninth. In frame 10 Higgins potted the last red to black for a vital 35 clearance and secured his first title since last November by taking frame 11 65-37.

"I held myself together very well when the pressure was on," said Higgins, who succeeds Ronnie O'Sullivan as Champions Cup winner.

"The clearance to go 6-4 up was vital. This is a great way to start the season and hopefully it will be the start of a good run for me."

Higgins' next engagement comes next month in the Regal Masters at Glasgow. But before then he could be holding another 'trophy' as wife Denise is expecting their first child within the next couple of weeks.

"I've had a great week but it will be good to get home and make sure everything is okay."