Neil Robertson roars back to advance at Championship League in ideal boost ahead of Welsh Open snooker title bid
Neil Robertson showed his class by winning five straight matches on Friday to reach the final stages of the Championship League in Leicester.
The 2010 world champion enjoyed superb breaks of 67, 107 and 62 to complete a 3-1 Group Six final win against Zhou Yuelong, who claimed the third frame with a run of 73 in a high-quality encounter at the Morningside Arena.
Robertson joins John Higgins, Stuart Bingham, Jack Lisowski, Kyren Wilson and Judd Trump who have already qualified for the winners’ group (1-2 March). The champion will earn a spot in the 2023 Champion of Champions.
Snooker
Robertson faces uphill battle at Championship League as Selt sets pace
YESTERDAY AT 21:40
But victories against Joe Perry (3-2), Xiao Guodong (3-2) and Matthew Selt (3-1) was enough to see him join Selt, Xiao and Zhou in the semi-finals.
The world No. 4 trailed 2-1 to Selt in their semi-final joust, but closing knocks of 111 and 52 sealed his spot in the final against Zhou.
It is a timely boost for the Melburnian before he meets Fraser Patrick in his opening match at the Welsh Open (LIVE on Eurosport) on Monday.
He is likely to require a run to the quarter-finals to keep alive his bid to defend the Players Championship, involving the top 16 on the one-year list, a week later in Wolverhampton (20-26 February).
The Championship League returns on 27-28 February with Group Seven as world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan and Shaun Murphy compete against Zhou, Selt, Xiao and Milkins.
McGill and Perry drop out having occupied the last two places in Group Six.
Friday’s Championship League results
- Group Six final
- Neil Robertson 3-1 Zhou Yuelong
- Group Six semi-finals
- Matthew Selt 2-3 Neil Robertson
- Zhou Yuelong 3-2 Xiao Guodong
- Group Six results
- Neil Robertson 3-1 Zhou Yuelong
- Joe Perry 2-3 Neil Robertson
- Robert Milkins 1-3 Matthew Selt
- Joe Perry 2-3 Zhou Yuelong
- Xiao Guodong 3-2 Robert Milkins
- Zhou Yuelong 0-3 Matthew Selt
- Xiao Guodong 2-3 Neil Robertson
- Anthony McGill 1-3 Joe Perry
- Anthony McGill 2-3 Robert Milkins
- Neil Robertson 3-1 Matthew Selt
– – –
Snooker
‘It’d be good to get another title’ – On-song Higgins seals Championship League progress
08/02/2023 AT 22:25
Snooker
Robertson enjoys strong start to Championship League snooker
07/02/2023 AT 22:00
Read the full article Here
