were two matches played in the first round of the main competition. Higgins eliminated Jackie Rea 19–11 at the Ecclesfield Ex-Servicemen's Club. He compiled a 103 break in the third session and a 133 during the fourth session. Rea complimented Higgins on the performance, saying that "He does everything wrong. And yet he knocks such a lot in". John Pulman took a 6–2 lead against Dunning, and went on to win 19–7. Fred Davis was due to play Kingsley Kennerley, but proceeded by walkover when Kennerley withdrew due to illness. Quarter-finals and semi-finals Spencer eliminated Davis 31–21. Williams defeated the 1970 champion Reardon 25–23 in a match held across five different venues in Scotland. Reardon trailed 20–22 before winning the following three frames, after which Williams won three frames in succession to secure victory. Owen was expected to face Taylor, but withdrew after emigrating to Australia. His place in the draw was given to Charlton by the WPBSA. Charlton, who arrived from Australia on the first morning of his match against Taylor, won 31–25. Pulman took a 2–0 lead against Higgins, but was 2–3 behind before finishing their first day the odd frame ahead at 4–3. Higgins led 12–8 after the second day, and 19–14 at the close of day three. The penultimate day ended with Higgins 28–19 up, and although Pulman won the first two frames on the concluding day, Higgins secured victory at 31–23. Spencer had embarked on a tour of Canada between the quarter-finals and semi-finals. He won 37–32 against Charlton, in the semi-final played at the Co-op Hall, Bolton, from 10 to 14 January. The players agreed on a £750 side bet to be paid by the losing player to the winner. Williams took nine consecutive frames to establish a 12–6 lead against Higgins. Higgins next took the lead at 26–25. The match went to a deciding frame, and Williams was 28 points to 14 ahead when he missed an attempt to pot a blue ball from its spot into a middle pocket. Higgins compiled a break of 32, and then, following some safety play, potted the green ball to clinch victory. Williams later commented "That blue could have changed the direction of both our careers." On the day before the start of the Championship final, Spencer and Higgins contested the final of the Spring Park Drive 2000 event, which Spencer won 4–3. Final The final