Neil Robertson held his nerve in a high-quality clash with Ronnie O’Sullivan to clinch a final-frame decider and reach the final of the Cazoo Tour Championship in Llandudno.
The pair traded blows throughout an absorbing contest that yielded seven century breaks, before an 80 from Robertson proved enough to get over the line for a thoroughly classy 10-9 win.
O’Sullivan hit three centuries in four frames to lead 4-1, then battled back from 8-6 down to lead 9-8. Handed the first chance in the decider, he left a black hanging over the pocket on 17 to let the Australian in.
Robertson was first in with a break of 115 in the opener, but he was then forced to sit and endure an O’Sullivan master-class as successive breaks of 125, 90, 106 and 128 put the 46-year-old in control.
Undaunted, Robertson responded with two half-centuries in the next frame to reduce the deficit, before successive breaks of 85 and 95 ensured the pair would finish a top-quality afternoon session all square at 4-4.
The quality of the break-building was evident in the fact that the sum total of losing frame scores amounted to just 16 points across the first eight frames of the match.
O’Sullivan nudged back in front with a break of 61 in the opening frame of the evening session, but the momentum seemed to be swinging towards Robertson, who took the next three to establish a 7-5 advantage.
After O’Sullivan reduced the deficit to a single frame, Robertson reeled off a 117 to move two from victory, only for O’Sullivan to respond with a sensational 100 clearance, picking off a difficult blue and pink to secure the sixth century of a superb semi-final.
A brief maximum bid fell flat in the next for Robertson as O’Sullivan clawed his way back from a 37-point deficit to level the match at 8-8, before his fifth century of the match moved him within one frame of a stunning triumph.
Robertson nudged through a longer 17th frame to set up an almost inevitable decider, which he seized to set up a Sunday final against either John Higgins or Luca Brecel.
