Snooker results: Neil Robertson beats Graeme Dott 10-8 in the World Grand Prix final

The foundations were laid in the afternoon session, Robertson taking control of the match by winning four frames on the bounce, having initially trailed 2-1, but the Australian was almost unstoppable in the early part of the evening as he rattled off breaks 107, 142, 69 and 101 and 69 to claim his second title success in the space of two weeks.

Having ended January with victory at the European Masters, February has continued in much the same vein, Robertson going all the way to the final of the German Masters before producing another brilliant performance that shouldn’t at all be marked down despite his late wobble when the winning line came in sight late on Sunday evening.

For Dott’s part, he can look back on an excellent week at the office and for all he was below his best earlier in the day, he came out fighting in the evening session and got within a single frame of Robertson on three occasions, reducing his arrears to 5-4, 6-5 and 9-8 before Robertson eventually scrambled over the line

Dott came out swinging in the evening session, putting together breaks of 62 and 88 in frames nine and 11 but Robertson looked to have closed the door on any hopes of a possible comeback when responding with a sumptuous run of 107 and the tournament high break of 142 to ensure he maintained his two-frame advantage at the mid-session interval.

Upon the resumption, 7-5 soon became 9-5 as Robertson breezed around the table to add contributions of 69 and 101 – his fifth century of the day – before Dott rallied gamely to pinch frame 15 just as his opponent had seemed on the cusp of his victory lap of honour.

Dott made Robertson sweat a little more when getting the better of scrappy frame 16 and, when he somehow won frame 17 having needed two snookers and managing to get three, the night had taken a dramatic twist.

Robertson’s previously calm demeanour could be seen slowly peeling away while Dott was clearly feeling the heat himself, losing the cue ball when handed the chance to level the scores and force a final-frame shootout.

In the end, with a number of trademark long pots, Robertson finally cut the tension as he dictated terms in frame 18 and, when he sunk the final red to secure victory, he bowed his head in relief at the conclusion of an absorbing contest and a gruelling few weeks, the match and title finally his.

Having spent so much of the week gliding round Cheltenham racecourse like the great Kauto Star had done so not too many years ago, Robertson finished the match tired and laboured but yet again victorious, and with his brilliance unquestioned. Just as has been the case for much of 2020.

Afternoon session report: Dott fights but Robertson dominates first session

Neil Robertson took a big step towards securing his second ranking-title win in as many weeks by dominating the first session of his World Grand Prix final with Graeme Dott.

Despite the late finish he endured on Saturday night when resisting a stirring comeback from Kyren Wilson, Robertson brushed off any suggestion of fatigue with another strong display that left Dott hanging on by his finger nails just to stay in the match.

Having himself produced a series of polished displays to set up the chance of claiming what would be a first ranking-title success since 2007, Dott was knocked off his stride by a dominant Robertson who bossed proceedings and in the end, wasn't made to regret letting his opponent off the hook in frame eight, handing the Scot a lifeline as he managed to reduce his arrears to 5-3 at the conclusion of the session.

Robertson began with a silky run of 55 and when he added a break of 63 in frame two, he seemed sure to double his lead.

However, Dott set the tone for his own afternoon's work with some resilient defensive work before a huge fluke on the green when snookered allowed him level the scores.

With his first frame on the board, Dott dominated the following frame with the help of a break of 56 - his highest of the opening session - before Robertson stepped up a gear with a stunning response, a masterful clearance of 127 ensuring the scores were all square at the mid-session interval.

That would be the closest Dott would get to Robertson, though, as the Australian then won frames five and six, the latter thanks to his second century in three frames, a classy hand of 110 that began with a wonderful positional shot from a tricky, long opening red.

When Robertson added another typically proficient run of 58 in frame seven and found himself with a golden opportunity in frame eight, the final of the afternoon, a four-frame advantage looked to be on the cards until disaster struck when a split on the reds from the blue saw one of the reds drop into the bottom left-hand corner pocket.

Despite needing a couple of bites of the cherry, Dott just about held his nerve to stop the rot and keep his hopes of victory alive.

As it transpired, his efforts were to be in vain as Robertson’s relentless march to victory proved too much to resist.