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NEIL Robertson snatched a 6-5 victory over John Higgins in a nerve jangling semi final to advance to the final of the Grand Prix.
Robertson the 2006 grand prix champion and Higgins served up the match of the tournament as both players threw everything bar the kichen sink in each other just like two boxers landing punches on each other as both refused to give way.
Robertson though fired an ominous warning to Higgins is the opening frame when he pounced on errant double attempt by Higgins. Left just off the top cushion Robertson had a red sitting over the corner of the "yellow" pocket. The Australian's cueing was rock solid as the red dropped and left Neil in prime position on the yellow. Drilling the yellow Neil rattled in a a frame winning break of 114- just falling short of 121 when he missed the final black.
What a start for Neil, but Higgins is not easily unnerved. And with a message of anything you can do I can do better took full advantage when Robertson's loose safety left Higgins with a long straight red to the corner. Higgins instinctively powered home the red and proceeded to ram in a break of 90 to let Neil know in no uncertain terms that if he was going to beat he couldn't afford a single mistake.
With both players in good potting form the onus now shifted to their safety game and Robertson too was more than a match for Higgins as he left John snookered behind the brown - with a gaggle of reds occupying one side of the table. Higgins normally so strong at extricating himself from snookers failed with his two cushion escape and left the Australian with a straight red to the corner from the side cushion. Capitalising on the Scotsman's error Neil rattled in a break of 66 to edge 2-1 in front.
The lead was swiftly cancelled out in the fourth frame as Higgins left a straight red from the baulk cushion to the corner stunned it in and proceeded to stroke ina 60 break before running out of position. Higgins safety looked to have put him in trouble as Robertson cleverly snookered him behind the yellow on the side cushion. Higgins though had seen that there was a red available to the centre- but he would need to get round the yellow to play of it. With total audacity Higgins played off the opposite side cushion ans hit the red and Neil could only watch in disbelief as the red dropped in. With that piece of good fortune Higgins soon cleared with 71 to level at 2-2 at the interval
The potting statistics made frightening reading. Higgins a 100% pot success rate - Neil's was hardly shabby either on 96%. But the key statistic was that Higgins despite not missing a single red was only level. Robertson had managed to stay with Higgins who had served up some amazing potting. But what would happen on the resumption.
As the fans recovered from the opening four frames the fifteen minute intermission looked to have broken the concentration of both players as on their return both missed balls that previously they would have potted quite easily. Someone though had to make a mistake and it was Neil who did as his long straight red to the corner failed to drop. With the red at his mercy it was Higgins who dropped the red and made a break of 35- and then kept Neil under pressure by snookering him on the final four reds with the help of the yellow. Even worse Neil had managed to leave a plant sitting over the corner pocket and a ruthless Higgins took full advantage by piecing together a run of 27 to put him into the lead for the first time in the match.
But if anyone thought that the 25 minute frame may knock a bit of the stuffing out of Neil's game they had another think coming as Neil's response though was swift and clincial. Left a mid length red to the corner after Higgins ambitious attempt on a red he stroked in the red and then rattled in a clearance of 130 to remind Higgins he wasn't quite finished yet.
So from the best of 11 it was now the best of five the thunder rumbled on with Neil firing in a long range red. But both players were now making heavy weather of their chances as both Neil and John missed decent frame winning opportunities. With Higgins holding a 48-43 lead as they came to the colours Higgins's attempt to escape from a Robertson snooker saw him leave the yellow over "green" pocket. Using the rest and his extension Robertson potted the yellow, added the green, brown, blue and pink to snatch the fame and put him 4-3 up, with just two more frames needed for victory.
The pendulum had swung as a Higgins long red wobbled in the jaws and left Robetrson with a simple red to the corner and with the cue ball on a piece of string rolled in a total clearance of 128 to put him 5-3 up and on the edge of a place in the final. For Higgins the equation was simple. He needed all of the last three frames.
Higgins had extricated himself from such a predicament against Mark Selby and Jamie Cope at the Crucible but could he do it again on home territory. Higgins's break off was worthy of a 9/10 but Robertson was inspired mood as drilling in a long red the Australian kept Higgins firmly in his chair as he rattled in a 49 before being forced into playing safe. Robertson though had left Higgins a glimmer of a chance with a long red to the corner and a seemingly nerveless Higgins powered it in and cleared up with 84 to remind all of his fans in the Kelvin Hall that he hadn't quite fallen asleep.
Robertson was reeling at seeing his golden chance of victory in the previous frame wrestled from his grasp and Higgins rubbed salt into the wound. He constructed a vicious snooker that left Neil snookered on all reds behind the brown. It yielded 20 penalty points- but even more worrying a gilt edged chance with an easy starter. Higgins in ruthless mood dispatched the red and fired in a decisive break of 57 to send the match into a final frame shoot out.
Robertson had the first chance in the decider but was only able to make 30 before missing a simple red. Higgins grabbed the upper hand in a safety battle and forced Robertson into taking a risky long red to the "green"pocket. Neil missed it and then saw it shoot across to the other coner pocket and sit in the jaws. As Higgins steadied himself he dropped the red in and with the crowd urging him on pieced together a 42 only to knock the pink in off potting the final red. With just the colours remaining the match was at a cliffhanging climax. As Higgins fluked the yellow referee Michaela Tabb calmed the vociferous crowd as Higgins sank a difficult green but missed a simple brown. Robertson hardly daring to believe his good fortune dispatched the brown, blue and pink. The black was tight on the top cushion and Robertson needed it for victory. Robertson played the double up to the "green" pocket to leave John the merest of snicks. Higgins went for it and saw it wobble and stay in the jaws. Turning to Neil Robertson Higgins offered his hand in concession of the match that had reached it's heartstopping finale.
Suzy Jardine
Robertson the 2006 grand prix champion and Higgins served up the match of the tournament as both players threw everything bar the kichen sink in each other just like two boxers landing punches on each other as both refused to give way.
Robertson though fired an ominous warning to Higgins is the opening frame when he pounced on errant double attempt by Higgins. Left just off the top cushion Robertson had a red sitting over the corner of the "yellow" pocket. The Australian's cueing was rock solid as the red dropped and left Neil in prime position on the yellow. Drilling the yellow Neil rattled in a a frame winning break of 114- just falling short of 121 when he missed the final black.
What a start for Neil, but Higgins is not easily unnerved. And with a message of anything you can do I can do better took full advantage when Robertson's loose safety left Higgins with a long straight red to the corner. Higgins instinctively powered home the red and proceeded to ram in a break of 90 to let Neil know in no uncertain terms that if he was going to beat he couldn't afford a single mistake.
With both players in good potting form the onus now shifted to their safety game and Robertson too was more than a match for Higgins as he left John snookered behind the brown - with a gaggle of reds occupying one side of the table. Higgins normally so strong at extricating himself from snookers failed with his two cushion escape and left the Australian with a straight red to the corner from the side cushion. Capitalising on the Scotsman's error Neil rattled in a break of 66 to edge 2-1 in front.
The lead was swiftly cancelled out in the fourth frame as Higgins left a straight red from the baulk cushion to the corner stunned it in and proceeded to stroke ina 60 break before running out of position. Higgins safety looked to have put him in trouble as Robertson cleverly snookered him behind the yellow on the side cushion. Higgins though had seen that there was a red available to the centre- but he would need to get round the yellow to play of it. With total audacity Higgins played off the opposite side cushion ans hit the red and Neil could only watch in disbelief as the red dropped in. With that piece of good fortune Higgins soon cleared with 71 to level at 2-2 at the interval
The potting statistics made frightening reading. Higgins a 100% pot success rate - Neil's was hardly shabby either on 96%. But the key statistic was that Higgins despite not missing a single red was only level. Robertson had managed to stay with Higgins who had served up some amazing potting. But what would happen on the resumption.
As the fans recovered from the opening four frames the fifteen minute intermission looked to have broken the concentration of both players as on their return both missed balls that previously they would have potted quite easily. Someone though had to make a mistake and it was Neil who did as his long straight red to the corner failed to drop. With the red at his mercy it was Higgins who dropped the red and made a break of 35- and then kept Neil under pressure by snookering him on the final four reds with the help of the yellow. Even worse Neil had managed to leave a plant sitting over the corner pocket and a ruthless Higgins took full advantage by piecing together a run of 27 to put him into the lead for the first time in the match.
But if anyone thought that the 25 minute frame may knock a bit of the stuffing out of Neil's game they had another think coming as Neil's response though was swift and clincial. Left a mid length red to the corner after Higgins ambitious attempt on a red he stroked in the red and then rattled in a clearance of 130 to remind Higgins he wasn't quite finished yet.
So from the best of 11 it was now the best of five the thunder rumbled on with Neil firing in a long range red. But both players were now making heavy weather of their chances as both Neil and John missed decent frame winning opportunities. With Higgins holding a 48-43 lead as they came to the colours Higgins's attempt to escape from a Robertson snooker saw him leave the yellow over "green" pocket. Using the rest and his extension Robertson potted the yellow, added the green, brown, blue and pink to snatch the fame and put him 4-3 up, with just two more frames needed for victory.
The pendulum had swung as a Higgins long red wobbled in the jaws and left Robetrson with a simple red to the corner and with the cue ball on a piece of string rolled in a total clearance of 128 to put him 5-3 up and on the edge of a place in the final. For Higgins the equation was simple. He needed all of the last three frames.
Higgins had extricated himself from such a predicament against Mark Selby and Jamie Cope at the Crucible but could he do it again on home territory. Higgins's break off was worthy of a 9/10 but Robertson was inspired mood as drilling in a long red the Australian kept Higgins firmly in his chair as he rattled in a 49 before being forced into playing safe. Robertson though had left Higgins a glimmer of a chance with a long red to the corner and a seemingly nerveless Higgins powered it in and cleared up with 84 to remind all of his fans in the Kelvin Hall that he hadn't quite fallen asleep.
Robertson was reeling at seeing his golden chance of victory in the previous frame wrestled from his grasp and Higgins rubbed salt into the wound. He constructed a vicious snooker that left Neil snookered on all reds behind the brown. It yielded 20 penalty points- but even more worrying a gilt edged chance with an easy starter. Higgins in ruthless mood dispatched the red and fired in a decisive break of 57 to send the match into a final frame shoot out.
Robertson had the first chance in the decider but was only able to make 30 before missing a simple red. Higgins grabbed the upper hand in a safety battle and forced Robertson into taking a risky long red to the "green"pocket. Neil missed it and then saw it shoot across to the other coner pocket and sit in the jaws. As Higgins steadied himself he dropped the red in and with the crowd urging him on pieced together a 42 only to knock the pink in off potting the final red. With just the colours remaining the match was at a cliffhanging climax. As Higgins fluked the yellow referee Michaela Tabb calmed the vociferous crowd as Higgins sank a difficult green but missed a simple brown. Robertson hardly daring to believe his good fortune dispatched the brown, blue and pink. The black was tight on the top cushion and Robertson needed it for victory. Robertson played the double up to the "green" pocket to leave John the merest of snicks. Higgins went for it and saw it wobble and stay in the jaws. Turning to Neil Robertson Higgins offered his hand in concession of the match that had reached it's heartstopping finale.
Suzy Jardine
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