It's child's play for da Higgins

SNOOKER/Irish Masters: Government support of the Irish Masters has had much to do with the battle against smoking. But a second triumph in the tournament by Scotland's John Higgins here last night could be attributed more accurately to a successful battle with baby.

As it happened, the 26-year-old swept to an impressive , 10-3 victory over the 1995 winner, Peter Ebdon, in a largely one-sided final, which was played over the best of 19 frames for the first time.

In the process, Higgins took top prize of €100,000 along with an additional €5,000 for the highest break of the tournament - a 140 in Saturday's semi-finals.

And baby? This was the Scot's first tournament win since the arrival, five-and-a-half months ago, of first-born son, Pierce, who, apparently, has not been averse to keeping dad awake at night. And he was here with his mother for the tournament, wearing a fetching kilt of his homeland.

Appropriately, baby Pierce was brought into the arena and held aloft by dad in his moment of triumph.

"I've not always played my best in Ireland so I'm really pleased with this win," said Higgins. "I managed to win a few good frames."

He added: "It's fantastic to have Pierce here and in his tartan, which was made for us by a friend."

For his part, Ebdon was admirably gracious in defeat. "It has taken one of the game's great matchplayers to beat me," he said.

Higgins, who led from the opening frame, did the groundwork in a highly productive afternoon session. He repeatedly froze out the dogged Englishman, notably with breaks of 91 in the first and 109 in the fifth.

In fact his general superiority of the nine-frame session could be gleaned from the fact that the third was the only frame in which he failed to register a break of at least 43. Ebdon, on the other hand, had to look to a 35 in the third as his best of the afternoon.

Facing the evening session 7-2 down, Ebdon clearly needed a quick start. And those of us who remembered his marvellous fighting qualities in the 1995 final wouldn't have dared bet against a comeback. On that occasion, he came from 5-8 down in the final to no less a figure than Stephen Hendry and proceeded, most improbably, to take the title by 9-8.

Seven years on, however, it never looked on the cards. In fact, Higgins took the crucial, opening frame by 87-18, without overstretching himself. Then, when Ebdon gave himself a lifeline through a winning break of 64 in the 11th, he paid the price for recklessly opening the reds in the next.

So, after a punishing break of 79, Higgins was now 9-3 ahead and needing only one frame for victory. And with his thoughts on victory rather than the extended enjoyment of the evening audience, the Scot proceeded to wrap up the title before the mid-session interval.

Meanwhile, the prospect of a first Irish victory since 1998, evaporated in Saturday's semi-finals when Ken Doherty, the champion on that occasion, was beaten 6-3 by Ebdon. Effectively, the Englishman won because he scored far more heavily when among the balls, with breaks of 104, 84 and 62, whereas Doherty's best effort was a 36 in the fourth.

In the other semi-final, Higgins recorded his 140 in the eighth frame of a surprisingly tight, 6-5 win over Matthew Stevens. After seven reds and seven blacks, the Scot was forced to switch to pink and blue to keep the break going and like a true master of his craft, he made a total clearance appear remarkably simple.