Ruthless Maguire Powers to the Title

Stephen Maguire's 10-1 trouncing of David Gray to win the £70,000 first prize in the Travis Perkins UK Championship underlined the authenticity of the 23-year-old Scot's world title credentials and elevated him to third in the provisional world rankings from his start-of-season 24.

Gray had a day to forget but could take some consolation from his £35,000 as runner-up, his £31,000 for his 147 maximum earlier in the tournament and his best tournament run since winning the 2003 Scottish Open.

Maguire's capture of the European Open title in Malta last March, beating five top-16 players, impressed the snooker world but, without television coverage, passed without much recognition by the general public. Nevertheless it was a major psychological breakthrough for the dedicated young Scot who has, this season, moved to a new level of maturity, confidence and sustained performance.

In Brighton this month he finished his quarter-final with a hat-trick of centuries and started with two the next day in overwhelming Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-1 in the semis before losing to John Higgins in the final.

Here, O'Sullivan was again one of his victims as Maguire won six matches with a combined frames score of 55-19.

"I came here full of confidence," he said. "It's a great feeling to win this. 10-1 is unbelievable. I wish there was a tournament next week."

Gray's perspective, equally valid, was: "I missed a few early on. I had a bad run for a few frames and once he'd got his confidence he played brilliant."

Gray's tale of woe began in the fourth frame when, 40 in front and heading for 2-2, he missed a basic red to a middle pocket. Maguire cleared with 85 and from Gray's failed black off its spot in the fifth made 40 to lead 4-1.

The gods were against Gray too as Maguire fluked one red to initiate his clinching 44 in the sixth and another to start a smaller winning effort in the seventh. When Gray unluckily pocketed a red in opening the bunch from the blue in the eighth, Maguire again exploited it to the full, clearing with a 110 before closing the session with a clearance of 131.

The evening session required only 21 minutes' play as Maguire swept imperiously to a title which ranks second only to the Embassy World Championship in its tariff of rankings, with breaks of 80 and 122, his 10th century of the tournament.