Neil Robertson has become the second player to whitewash his opponent in a two-session ranking event final after thrashing Zhou Yuelong 9-0 at the BetVictor European Masters.
The Australian won all eight frames of the afternoon session to all but seal the £80,000 first prize in Dornbirn, Austria and then returned to the baize to become the first player since Steve Davis beat Dean Reynolds 10-0 in the 1989 Grand Prix to record such a feat.
Robertson can now celebrate his first ranking title of the season having previously managed the invitational Champion of Champions event in November while it's also the 17th of his career, moving him level with Mark Selby in sixth place on the all-time list.
The winner’s cheque also puts the 37-year-old in pole position to collect the £150,000 bonus in the new BetVictor European Series, which consists of four events - German Masters (29 January – 2 Feb) , Shoot Out (20-23 Feb) and Gibraltar Open (11-15 March).
Zhou, 22, was playing in his first ranking final, and collects £35,000 as consolation for his thumping defeat.
"You never expect a final to be played like that," Robertson told Eurosport. "I played fantastically well, up there with my best-ever performance in a final, and I'm sure it won't be long before Zhou is in another ranking final."
Robertson edged two scrappy opening frames before polished breaks of 99, 128 and 82 made it 5-0.
Zhao, who was playing in his first ranking final, was unable to stem the tide as Robertson rattled off a break of 109 - his seventh century of the week before polishing off the victory after the interval.
In total Robertson managed two centuries, including the highest of 128, while he scored 784 points compared to his opponent's 92.
The Aussie also went through the whole tournament for the loss of just six frames over his five matches.
European Masters: Tournament results
FINAL
- Neil Robertson 9-0 Zhou Yuelong
SEMI-FINALS
- Ali Carter 1-6 Neil Robertson
- Zhou Yuelong 6-5 Gary Wilson
QUARTER-FINALS
- Ali Carter 5-1 Scott Donaldson
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 1-5 Neil Robertson
- Zhou Yuelong 5-2 Barry Hawkins
- Marco Fu 3-5 Gary Wilson
SECOND ROUND
- Michael Holt 4-5 Ali Carter
- Ding Junhui 2-5 Scott Donaldson
- John Higgins 4-5 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
- Graeme Dott 2-5 Neil Robertson
- Zhou Yuelong 5-3 Jackson Page
- Barry Hawkins 5-4 Mark Selby
- Marco Fu 5-2 Xiao Guodong
- Gary Wilson 5-1 Zhao Xintong
FIRST ROUND
- Daniel Wells 0-5 Michael Holt
- Tian Pengfei 3-5 Ali Carter (17)
- Robert Milkins 0-5 Ding Junhui (9)
- Scott Donaldson (25) 5-2 Kyren Wilson (8)
- John Higgins (5) 5-2 Fergal O'Brien
- Robbie Williams 2-5 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (21)
- Graeme Dott (20) 5-3 Liang Wenbo
- Lyo Haotian (29) 2-5 Neil Robertson (4)
- Mark Williams (3) 4-5 Zhou Yuelong (30)
- Jackson Page w/o Yan Bingtao (19)
- David Lilley 2-5 Barry Hawkins (11)
- Jak Jones 2-5 Mark Selby (6)
- Lu Ning 3-5 Marco Fu
- Alfie Burden 3-5 Xiao Guodong (23)
- Gary Wilson (18) 5-1 Luca Brecel
- Michael White 2-5 Zhao Xintong
European Series events
- BetVictor European Masters, 22-26 Jan, Austria
- BetVictor German Masters, 29 January – 2 Feb, Berlin, Germany
- BetVictor Shoot Out – 20-23 Feb, Watford, England
- BetVictor Gibraltar Open – 11-15 Mar, Gibraltar