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Snooker: Maguire ends trophy wait
January 13, 2012
Stephen Maguire won a ranking event for the first time in nearly four years by beating Joe Perry 4-2 in the final of Players Tour Championship event 12.
The world No 9 went 2-0 up with breaks of 105 and 77, before Perry pulled one back with a 63.
Maguire fired in a 93 to lead 3-1, and after Perry had won frame five with a 75, the Scot finished off a high quality final with a run of 62 to win frame six and the match.
Victory for Maguire in Munich ends a run of 45 months without winning an event carrying ranking points, since the 2008 China Open in Beijing.
"I played really well in the final, that was the best match I played in the event and it's nice to do that in the final," said 30-year-old Maguire.
"I didn't practise at all over Christmas so I didn't expect much coming here, but maybe that's the secret.
"To win any tournament these days is a good achievement and it gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season. I'm really looking forward to the Masters next week and hoping I can get a run going."
The event in Germany was the last of 12 short events in the PTC series. The top 24 on the final Order of Merit now go through to the Grand Final at the Bailey Allen Hall in Galway, Ireland, from March 14 to 18.
Maguire finished in the top 24 last season but had to withdraw from the Grand Final because of the birth of his third child.
"It was a shame to miss it because I'd put a lot of work into qualifying for the finals, but family comes first," he added. "I'm definitely going to Ireland this time, I'll miss my daughter's first birthday but I'm sure she'll understand!"
Maguire had been forced to come from 2-0 and 3-2 down to edge out fellow Scot Stephen Hendry 4-3 in the semi-finals.
Hendry was off to a fast start with breaks of 98 and 105, but Maguire took the third frame on the colours and added a 74 for 2-2. Hendry regained the lead before Maguire levelled again with another 74 before dominating a scrappy decider and winning it 45-1.
Perry, meanwhile, had stormed to a 4-0 win over Martin Gould to reach his second PTC final of the season. The Chatteris cueman made a 43 clearance to nick the first frame on the black, and cleared again in the second with 49.
Runs of 62 and 66 helped him add the next two frames and complete the victory.
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