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| Dott Sets up Final Showdown with Cope at China Open |
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Graeme Dott set up the final showdown with Jamie Cope at the 2007 China Open snooker tournament after knocking out "Rocket" Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-2 in Beijing on Saturday.
Cope took almost four hours to edge Hawkins 6-5 in another semifinal. Dott, the 888.com world champion led from the very beginning and left no chance for the "Rocket" to catch up. "I played really well. It wasn't the best I've played this week, but I've played the same attacking game," said Dott. O'Sullivan was first among the balls with a break of 44 but Dott snatched the first round with a fine 78, followed by runs of 84, 62 and 72. It was all-out attack from the Rocket and he ignited hopes of a comeback by winning the next with 49. O'Sullivan said: "Graeme played very well, much better than me. I wasn't good enough today." But Dott knocked in a superb 117 to go 5-1 ahead. O'Sullivan pulled one back with a 29 clearance in the seventh but Dott soon finished the match in style with a 99. "Ronnie is the best player in the game so to beat him 6-2 is a big confidence booster for me," added Dott. It will be Dott's first final since his Sheffield triumph and he boosts his bid to gain the official Number 1 spot in the rankings at the end of the season. World number 12 Hawkins lost the first two breaks after Cope hit a 59. Hawkins hit back to take the next three with runs of 73, 86 and 64, but Cope pulled level with 61 before the break. After the resumption both players struggled to take the initiative and Cope edged in front 5-4 after a long shot, but Hawkins leveled with 69 in the next. Cope was lucky enough to nail the black ball to the net in the decider to enter the final of the tournament. (Xinhua News Agency April 1, 2007) |
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