• Shanghai Masters

Higgins wins Shanghai thriller

John Higgins dominated the final frames © PA Photos

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John Higgins produced a stunning comeback to win the Shanghai Masters, fighting back from 7-2 down to overcome Judd Trump.

Trump needed three more frames for victory when the third session began in China, but he could only manage two as Higgins carved out an improbable 10-9 success.

Higgins, who did not pot a ball in any of the first three frames, was able to ensure his magnificent 147 in the sixth frame was not in vain.

Trump and Higgins have met in high-profile encounters in the past, notably when the Scot won the World Championship title in 2011. Trump looked poised to come out on top this weekend, thanks to a flying start in the opening session.

The Bristolian set the tone with a break of 112 before doubling his lead with a run of 80. A 74 helped Trump to a 3-0 lead and he completed a flawless first session by amassing a break of 111 for 4-0.

That lead grew still further when the pair returned to the baize, but Higgins finally registered his presence in the match in the sixth frame - doing so in superb style. The Scot hit a maximum 147 to spark thoughts of a comeback, but those hopes seemed to have been quickly doused by Trump.

A run of 52 extended the lead to 6-1, before Higgins won a tactical battle to reduce the deficit in the next. World No. 2 Trump chalked up another half-century break to take the final frame of the second session, leaving Higgins needing a minor miracle to avoid defeat.

Incredibly, he managed to achieve the feat. Always gritty, Higgins dug in to take the first three stanzas of the third session and close the gap to 7-5, before a run of 76 narrowed the gap still further. The mid-session interval failed to halt Higgins' charge as he rattled off his fifth straight frame to level the match at 7-7.

Trump finally regained a foothold, showing his resilience to battle back to 9-9 and set up a deciding frame, which Higgins took to grab the 25th ranking title of his career.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.