Championship League snooker 2021: 'I love it' – Graeme Dott thrilled to reach final group stage
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Updated 08/01/2021 at 18:48 GMT
Graeme Dott hit breaks of 103, 86 and 75 to seal his place in the Championship League winners' group on Thursday with a 3-1 win over fellow Scot Scott Donaldson having recovered from trailing the four-times world champion John Higgins 2-0 to complete a 3-2 win in their semi-final boosted by a magical 135 break in the third frame.
Graeme Dott
Image credit: Getty Images
2006 world champion Graeme Dott joined Group 1 winner Zhou Yuelong in the Championship League winners' group with a 3-1 victory over fellow Scot Scott Donaldson in the Group 2 final at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
The Larkhall potter had lost 3-0 to Donaldson in the past two Championship Leagues – including the final last March – but produced knocks of 103, 86 and 75 after his opponent had opened with 55 to secure his place in this year's final on 31 March-1 April.
"He's beaten me quite a few times in this Championship League. He's had my number, but I played quite well tonight so I'm glad to get it done," said Dott.
"I thought on the first day I played quite well despite winning only two out of four games.
"Today I really struggled, but I had an hour's rest and came back tonight and eventually played well.
"It's a fantastic tournament. It's great match practice. We all love it."
John Higgins had topped Group 2 after six matches, suffering his only loss to Matthew Selt 3-0, and led Dott 2-0 in the last four only for his fellow Scot to run in 135 and 79 in recovering to reach the final.
Donaldson ran out a 3-0 winner over Selt in the other semi-final.
Gary Wilson hit the highest break of Group 2 with a 143 break in a 3-2 win against Kyren Wilson, but he joins Masters champion Stuart Bingham in dropping out of the event.
Higgins, Selt, Donaldson and Kyren WIlson join Mark Selby, Tom Ford and Zhao Xintong in Group 3 to be contested on Friday and Saturday before the Masters begins on Sunday at the same venue.
Players are awarded one point for each match won, then most frames won and the least frames lost in the league series will determine their position in the league table. Dead frames will not be played in either the league or knock-out stages.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement