German Masters 2023 snooker LIVE updates – Neil Robertson takes on Chris Wakelin, Jack Lisowski later

ROBERTSON 0-1 WAKELIN

Wakelin attempts a brave long-range double on a red to the yellow pocket. It’s very close but doesn’t go down and Robertson is able to spy enough of the red to take charge.

The Aussie can’t finish the job from there though and at the umpteenth opportunity, Wakelin finally gets the job done in a very topsy-turvy opener.

ROBERTSON 0-0 WAKELIN (28-59)

Wakelin sits in his chair and looks like a man who has just started chewing a wasp.

He thinks he’s blown his chance to get off to a flyer but Robertson’s first nibble at the scoreboard ends when he fails to sink a make-able red to the middle right pocket.

This frame REMAINS up for grabs!

ROBERTSON 0-0 WAKELIN (0-59)

That’s sloppy from Neil. His safety is miles off what he was intending and leaves a red on the bottom cushion on for Wakelin to slip into the bottom right pocket.

Chris is well and truly on to finish the job at this visit but misses a simple black to the bottom left and the break ends far too prematurely from his point of view.

ROBERTSON 0-0 WAKELIN (0-44)

Wakelin is back in quickly and after clipping in an easier red to that same bottom right corner, he sets about building a significant lead.

He develops position with a strong pot on the brown and then moves through several reds by preying regularly upon the black. He nips back to the middle right to tickle down a pink to keep his positioning in sync.

He’s faced with a key shot with eight reds remaining but lacks the pace off a pot on the black to the bottom left to cannon into a trio of reds close to the left cushion.

He knows it’s the end of a break of 43 and sends the cue ball to baulk.

ROBERTSON 0-0 WAKELIN (0-1)

Still buzzing from that shoot-out title in Leicester – his first ranking trophy – Wakelin thunders a superb long red to the bottom right pocket. It’s the most he can muster but clear evidence of his confidence being high.

HERE WE GO!

Robertson to break in this best of nine Last-16 clash.

WHAT IS MOVING DAY?

It’s moving day at the German Masters – but what does that mean? Well, pretty much plenty of action for the players!

Neil Robertson will need to win two matches today to reach the semi-finals in Berlin, with shoot-out winner, Chris Wakelin his first obstacle coming up imminently. Should he survive that, Luca Brecel or Robert Milkins will await in the evening session.

Jack Lisowski, already through to the quarter-finals, will meet Xiao Guodong from 19:00 GMT.

GOOD AFTERNOON

Hello and welcome to our LIVE updates of the afternoon session at the 2023 German Open.

We’ll be focusing on the Last 16 showdown between Neil Robertson and Chris Wakelin.

Elsewhere, Luca Brecel meets Robert Milkins, Louis Heathcote takes on Ali Carter and Ricky Walden will face off with Pang Junxu.

Friday’s Schedule (GMT)

Last 16

13:00

• Neil Robertson v Chris Wakelin
• Luca Brecel v Robert Milkins
• Louis Heathcote v Ali Carter
• Ricky Walden v Pang Junxu

Quarter finals

19:00

• Tom Ford v Kyren Wilson
• Jack Lisowski v Xiao Guodong
• N Robertson / C Wakelin v Brecel / Milkins
• Heathcote / A Carter v Walden / Pang Junxu

‘Nice to be 100% for once!’ – Robertson fully recovered from illness

Robertson was clearly not well during his 6-4 defeat to Shaun Murphy at the Alexandra Palace and he also lost in a week later in the first round of the World Grand Prix to Xiao Guodong.

Having been ill at the UK Championship in November, as well as delaying the start of his season, Robertson is just 18th in the one-year ranking list but is the favourite to win this week’s German Masters with only four top 16 players in the draw.

“[It’s] nice to win and nice to be 100% fit for once this year,” said Robertson after he beat Joe Perry 5-3 on Thursday.

“Obviously the UK [Championship] was hard, the Masters and Grand Prix was really difficult.

“The first one at the UK was a really bad virus, similar to the flu but not quite as bad, but still almost impossible to play near 50% or 60%.

“Then the Masters, if it was any other event I would have pulled out, it was a mega struggle. I was really happy with my application, gave it a really good go and won a few frames, which I was really proud with myself about.”

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