SNOOKER: STEPHEN Lee captured his first world ranking title for four years on Sunday with a stunning victory over world champion Shaun Murphy in the Welsh Open final.

The Trowbridge cueman outplayed Rotherham-man Murphy to record a comfortable 9-4 win and secure the winner's cheque of £35,000.

The result came as a huge relief to Lee, who had not won a title on the professional circuit since he lifted the Scottish Open crown in 2002.

The win in Newport was Lee's fourth ranking tournament victory, and the 31-year-old demonstrated his undoubted class to shock pre-final favourite Murphy.

The win also eased worries of relegation from the world's elite top 16, after Lee had dropped to 17th following a nightmare start to the season.

The world number 10 defeated Glasgow's Drew Henry 5-2 in the opening round before cruising past Mark Selby of Leicester by the same margin.

Lee recorded another 5-2 victory in the quarter finals where he overcame Graeme Dott 5-2 and then scraped past Anthony Hamilton 6-5 in a thrilling semi final.

In Sunday's final Lee raced into a 4-0 lead, helped by a terrific break of 120 in the fourth frame.

Murphy reduced his arrears to 4-3 before missing a crucial black with the rest in the eighth frame.

Lee showed no mercy and went on to capture four of the evening session's five frames to seal the win.

Lee now sits ninth in the provisional rankings going into this month's China Open, where he hopes to build on his win in preparation for the World Championships which start in Sheffield on April 15.