Carter Takes Away Chinese Title
Allister Carter claimed the second ‘major’ ranking tournament win of his career with a 10-7 final victory over Scotland’s Jamie Burnett at the Roewe sponsored Shanghai Masters.
The match will certainly not be remembered as a ‘classic’ but that won’t bother the Essex-man, who is up to number two on the provisional world ranking list.
It was nip and tuck through the early stages with neither player looking as they were prepared to risk losing the title in trying to win it.
Long bouts of safety ensued with close finishes to many of the frames.
Although ranked 33 places below his opponent at the start of the season, Burnett has accumulated plenty of experience in his 18-year professional career, and the Scot’s tactical play kept in the match as he prevented Carter from hitting anywhere near top gear.
After grabbing a crucial one frame lead from the afternoon session, Carter won the first of the evening’s possible ten frames and looked certain to extend the lead to three in the next.
After potting the penultimate red with the required colours all in open play, he missed a ‘Willie Thorne’ blue to the left centre pocket, allowing Burnett to close the gap once again.
The next four frames were shared before the Carter produced only his fifth break of over 50 in the match to move within one frame before rounding off the win in the next and adding a second title to his Welsh Open win in 2008.
