Luca Brecel fends off John Higgins fightback to win the Scottish Open

Luca Brecel withstood a mini-fightback from John Higgins to wrap up the second rating title of his profession at the Scottish Open in Llandudno.

Just one week after shedding the UK Championship last to Zhao Xintong, Brecel noticed his 8-2 lead reduce to 8-5 earlier than he posted a 127 clearance to recover from the line in model.

The Belgian’s 9-5 success delivered his first title since the 2017 China Championship and likewise served up a fourth last defeat of the 12 months for Higgins.

Luca Brecel withstood a mini-fightback to wrap up his second rating title of his profession

Brecel mentioned: ‘Straight after the UK last it was troublesome to take, however the subsequent day I switched my thoughts and simply received to Wales and forgot all about it.

‘I believed I may go far however I felt drained. As the week went on I received stronger, and I feel successful this after shedding the UK might be a much bigger achievement than if I’d gained the UK itself.’

Showing no in poor health results from his loss to Zhao, Brecel had established a 6-2 lead after the first session of the last, culminating in a break of 104.

John Higgins closed the hole from 8-2 to 8-5 earlier than shedding to the Belgian at the Scottish Open

Higgins seemed out of types and any hope he had of wrestling his manner again into the last appeared to have gone when Brecel gained the first two frames of the night session to lengthen his lead and transfer one from victory.

But the Scot sometimes refused to admit defeat, battling by way of three frames in a row to scale back the deficit till Brecel lastly held his nerve to recover from the line.

‘I did not get off to the best of begins and Luca was implausible,’ mentioned Higgins.

‘It’s sensible for snooker to have somebody like Luca coming by way of and enjoying in the manner he does – it is nice for the sport.’