斯諾克：希金斯寶刀未老，三度登頂

即使你沒看過斯諾克臺球比賽，你也多半聽過丁俊暉這個名字。這個神奇小子將許多中國人帶入了那個陌生飄渺的斯諾克世界。但是在今年的世界斯諾克錦標賽中，丁俊暉卻未能續(xù)寫神話。蘇格蘭老將約翰·希金斯繼1998年及2007年后再度捧杯，也成為歷史上第四個在克魯西布戲院奪得三次以上冠軍的球手。在強手如云的斯諾克世界，在計算精準的斯諾克球桌上，以希金斯為首的老將、以奧沙利文為首的中生代以及以丁俊暉為首的新秀之間的對決仍將繼續(xù)下去。

John Higgins joined The Crucible greats as he completed an 18-9 world championship victory over Shaun Murphy to win a third title and join the 1)illustrious trio who have won more than two at this venue. Success for the 33-year-old Scot brings a winner’s cheque of pound;250，000.

More significantly for him， he said afterwards， is his elevation into the company of Stephen Hendry (seven world titles)， Steve Davis (six) and Ronnie O’Sullivan (three). Higgins can also make a claim to be a more durable champion than that trio. He first won the title in 1998 and after victory in 2007 and last night， his three trophies have spanned 11 years.

Hendry won his titles between 1990 and 1999， Davis between 1981 and 1989 and O’Sullivan between 2001 and 2008. Only O’Sullivan of those will come here again with any sound chances of future victories， although Higgins’ two wins in three years shows he still has the ability， 2)stamina and will to win. “Amazing，” said Higgins. “To win it a third time is just amazing.” In a young man’s game， he has shown these past 17 days that Sheffield can still be a country for old men.

His only match which could be described as routine was his first-round， 10-5 win over Michael Holt. He then came within inches of going out in the second round and quarter-finals but 3)prevailed both times in 13-12 thrillers， beating Jamie Cope and Mark Selby respectively.

He then saw off O’Sullivan’s conqueror， Mark Allen， only after the 4)feisty young Ulsterman had pushed him hard in his semi-final. Along the way， Higgins made 10 centuries among 83 during the championship， a 5)stunning total that 6)smashed the old mark of 68， achieved in 2002 and 2007.

“To have beaten Cope， Selby and Allen， three of the best young talents in the game， and beating them by fighting fire with fire gave me confidence coming into this final against Shaun，” Higgins said. “I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. Those four guys there could

7)feasibly be top four in the world one year not too soon.”

Pre-tournament， O’Sullivan had said that if he did not win himself， the only other person he could see winning was Higgins. “Ronnie says a lot of stupid things，” laughed Higgins. “But that’s turned out to be one of his cleverer remarks.” Higgins added that the most pleasing thing about last night was to join the “three or more” club: “To be there with the best players who’ve ever lived makes this the most special title I’ve won.”

約翰·希金斯在著名的克魯西布劇院以18比9擊敗肖恩·墨菲，拿到他個人的第三個世界錦標賽冠軍頭銜，更讓他成為繼斯諾克三巨頭之后，另一個在這個場館贏得兩次以上冠軍的杰出選手。此次奪冠為這位33歲的蘇格蘭人帶來25萬英鎊的獎金收入。

他隨后表示，對他而言更有意義的是，他由此晉升到與斯蒂芬·亨德利(7次世錦賽冠軍)、史蒂夫·戴維斯(6次世錦賽冠軍)和羅尼·奧沙利文(3次世錦賽冠軍)可并肩的行列。希金斯甚至比其他三位斯諾克好手更能經受歲月考驗。他于1998年首獲世界錦標賽冠軍，加上2007年和昨晚的奪冠，他奪取這三次錦標的時間跨度達11年之長。

而亨德利的冠軍頭銜都在1990年至1999年間獲得，戴維斯的冠軍獎杯則收獲于1981年到1989年之間，而奧沙利文則在2001年到2008年期間贏得三個世錦賽冠軍。雖然希金斯在三年時間內兩度捧杯證實了他仍具有奪標的實力、精力和決心，但奧沙利文仍然是這里最具實力的冠軍爭奪者。“太神奇了，”希金斯說，“能再一次獲勝真的太奇妙了。”在過去17天的比賽日中，他向大家證明了在這個年輕人統(tǒng)治的比賽領域，一個老男人也可以在謝菲爾德續(xù)寫成功。

希金斯唯一一場可算正常發(fā)揮的比賽是第一輪對陣邁克爾·霍爾特，10比5獲勝。在接下來的第二輪和四分之一決賽中他都差點被淘汰，兩次都以13比12一局的優(yōu)勢險勝，對手分別是詹米·科普和馬克·塞

爾比。

他在半決賽中打敗了把奧沙利文挑落馬下的馬克·艾倫，不過這個活潑年輕的北愛爾蘭人著實給他制造了不少麻煩。比賽至此，希金斯單桿過百的次數已有10次，而在這屆世錦賽上，單杠過百的總數一共是83次，遠遠超過2002年和2007年創(chuàng)造的68次的舊記錄。

“能夠打敗科普、塞爾比和艾倫這三位年輕的斯諾克好手，并且以這種強強相撞的方式來結束比賽讓我對接下來在決賽中與肖恩的對決信心十足。”希金斯說，“我對我的成績感到很滿意。這四個小伙子很有可能在不久的將來成為世界前四強。”

賽前，奧沙利文曾經說過如果不是他本人奪冠，那么唯一有可能奪冠的人便是希金斯。“羅尼總愛說一些愚蠢的話，”希金斯笑道，“不過現在這倒成了他其中一個比較有智慧的言論了。”希金斯還強調昨晚奪冠最讓他高興的是可以加入“三巨頭及以上”俱樂部:“可以跟世上最好的球員并肩而列讓這個冠軍成為我生命中最特別的冠軍。”

Know More

斯諾克術語知多少?

Break off 開球(比賽中擊出的第一桿)

Break 一桿球/單桿球(連續(xù)擊球得分)

Century 單桿過百(一桿球得分過百)

Maximum 滿桿(連續(xù)得分，直到選手打出147的滿桿)

Miscue 滑桿(擊打主球時的失誤桿)

Cue Ball 主球(即白球，唯一可以用球

桿擊打的球)

Pocket 球袋(為使球落袋而設置的球洞)

Chalk 滑石粉(在球桿桿頭使用的物質，

其作用是加大皮頭和主球之間的摩擦)

Cushion 臺岸(外覆粗呢的橡膠邊岸)