Telford:
China's Ding Junhui became the most successful Asian player in professional snooker history when he beat reigning world champion John Higgins 10-8 in the UK Championship final on Monday.
Victory gave Ding, the 2005 UK champion, his fourth ranking event title - surpassing the three titles won by Thailand's James Wattana.
The 22-year-old collected a cheque for 100,000 pounds (162,455 dollars) and in the process became only the seventh player - after Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, Doug Mountjoy, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Higgins - to win the UK title twice.
It was the first time Ding had won a major tournament since taking the 2006 Northern Ireland Trophy and suggested he'd finally overcome the mental scars inflicted by a 10-3 hammering at the hands of Ronnie O'Sullivan in the 2007 Masters final.
"I think I am a better player now," Ding told the BBC when asked if he had improved in the four years since winning his first UK title. "I am more experienced. Now I tell myself 'don't get angry'."
Asked about his prospects of winning a first world title, Ding added: "I am trying every year but there are players better than me but anything can happen in tournaments."
Higgins added: "Ding's safety game was great. I've missed three balls in the last three or four frame, which is unforgivable really.
"But well done to Ding.
The match, which had been a close contest since it started on Sunday, was all square at 7-7 before Ding opened up a two frame lead at 9-7.
Ding then potted an impressive long red but lost position on 18.
Higgins responded with a fine long red of his own and went on to make an excellent and composed break of 115 - his first century of the final - to cut Ding's lead to 9-8.
Ding then failed to get enough distance with the cue ball as he attempted a safety shot early in the 18th frame and let Higgins in.
But Higgins, who beat O'Sullivan 9-8 in a thrilling semi-final, missed a red and left it over the pocket to give Ding a chance.
Ding responded with a break of 75 and, although Higgins played on in the search for the snookers he needed, his opponent then potted a long red to set the seal on a fine victory.
Higgins had been playing catch-up in the final until the 34-year-old Scot became the first player in the match to win two frames in a row to take the lead for the first time at 7-6.
But Ding replied with a break of 74 to level at 7-7.
In the next Higgins, needing just the brown for the frame, astonishingly missed a routine pot and left it over the pocket.
"That was terrible, just taking my eye off it," Higgins said.
Ding knocked in the brown and the remaining colours to steal the frame and go 8-7 up.
Higgins went 49-0 ahead in the next but Ding fought back and then had the better of a safety exchange before knocking in two superb long pots on both yellow and green on his way to extending his lead to 9-7.