Ali Carter captured his fifth ranking title with a 10-3 victory over Tom Ford in the German Masters final on Sunday in Berlin.
The Captain trailed 2-0 early on but quickly grabbed control of the contest as his opponent, chasing a maiden ranking title, faltered.
Success at the Tempodrom represents Carter’s second at the venue having also claimed German Masters glory a decade ago in 2013.
The £80,000 champion’s cheque helps the 43 year-old rise back into the top 16 of the world rankings, and there are many more lucrative opportunities ahead.
Already guaranteed a spot in the Players Championship, Carter would need a specific set of results to materialise in order to miss out on the prestigious Tour Championship featuring the top eight from the one-year ranking list.
The former world number two will additionally be invited to compete in next season’s Champion of Champions and is provisionally set to qualify automatically for the World Snooker Championship.
It had looked worrying for Carter at the outset of the German Masters final, with Ford compiling an excellent 121 in the opening frame and doubling his lead by pinching the second on the black.
But from then on, it was one-way traffic with Carter allowing his fellow Englishman just one more frame for the remainder of the affair.
Experience was the obvious difference in the end, with a measured Carter taking advantage of his unexpected opportunity to add silverware to his CV.
The two-time World Championship runner-up got on the scoreboard with a break of 69 in the third frame.
Contributions of 62, 57, 67, 73, 120, 75, and 63 followed as he coasted to the winning line, securing a first ranking triumph since his victory in the 2016 World Open.
It was a disappointing way to finish an otherwise terrific tournament for Ford, who is also set to feature in at least the Players Championship later this term.
The 39 year-old may not get a better opportunity to capture the ranking title that has so far proved to be elusive during his career.
This German Masters crown belongs to Carter, however, who soaked in what was again an electric atmosphere at the Tempodrom.
“It’s a great event, the German fans are absolutely brilliant,” Carter told the World Snooker Tour.
“It’s great to have (my partner) Lee here to share the win with. I’ve been out here before on my own.”
“It’s just great that we can have a good drink and enjoy the journey home tomorrow.”
Featured photo credit: WST
