UK Championship 2015: Robertson hits 147 and wins title

And although he made hard work of the final, Robertson was the class act all tournament long, richly deserving victory at the ranking event which is second only to the World Championship in prestige.

In the first UK Championship final between two overseas stars, Australian Robertson beat his Chinese opponent 10-5 to finish his year in style.

Along with a £150,000 winner's cheque, Robertson snatched the bonus of £44,000 for making an immaculate 147 break in the sixth frame.

It was the first maximum made in a final of any of snooker's Triple Crown tournaments: the Masters, World Championship or UK.

Robertson took this title in 2013 too, when he defeated Mark Selby, who played the compliant role of his whitewashed semi-final victim this time.

After a 6-0 victory over Selby on Saturday evening, Robertson said he would play computer games into the early hours before bedding down for the night.

He went about the perfect clearance that brought the maximum jackpot with such precision it was close to virtual-reality snooker, Robertson exercising such unflinching control over the cue ball. The plant he made to pot the ninth red was never in doubt and the punch of the air in delight was richly deserved, as was the standing ovation from the York Barbican Centre crowd.

"It gives you such a buzz to make a 147," Robertson said afterwards.

Even Liang joined in, clapping and then hugging his opponent, who now has managed three maximums in his career, two of them in China, snooker's second heartland.

Robertson was almost on the receiving end of a 147 earlier in the tournament when opponent Thepchaiya Un-Nooh missed the black off its spot as the prospect of glory saw him caught like a rabbit in the headlights.

While he could sympathise with Un-Nooh at the time, Robertson ultimately had cause to be grateful for that miss. He would have had to share the spoils of his own masterful break had Un-Nooh slotted that seemingly straightforward ball during their third-round encounter.

At breakfast time in Beijing on Monday, they were waking to their number two player playing the biggest match of his life and clinging on gallantly, until from 7-5 the dream began to slip away. An early-afternoon run of 110 from Liang should have eased any nerves, but it was going to take something special to overcome Robertson, and inconsistency ultimately cost the underdog.

Robertson was struggling until the closing stages to put away the world number 29, and champion-turned-pundit Stephen Hendry suggested the 33-year-old was failing to stamp his authority, saying it would be "one thrown away" if he failed to land the title.

Ultimately it was another major success safely gathered, the flame in gum-chewing Liang's challenge burning out when he missed an easy black in the last frame.

Liang, who had enjoyed the biggest match of his life, offered warm congratulations as Robertson tied up the win.

"I'm going to have a pretty decent Christmas to say the least," said the Aussie. "I've got to enjoy this moment, relax and get ready to go again for the Masters."

That event comes next month in London, with Robertson looking to improve on his Masters showing from the start of this year, when he lost to Shaun Murphy in the final.

He won the Masters in 2012, and with the full set of majors already secured in his career Robertson is finding different inspiration and setting new targets.

"Now it's just about trying to put myself among the greats that have won multiple titles, multiple Masters, UK and Worlds," he said.

UK Championship 2015 Results

 Tuesday November 24
Afternoon Session - 1430 (First Round)
Mark Davis 6-1 Rhys Clark (Match 39)
John Higgins 6-1 Leo Fernandez (Match 48)
Martin Gould 6-2 Allan Taylor ​(Match 10)
Jamie Jones 6-4 Ian Glover ​(Match 62)
Andrew Higginson 1-6 David Grace ​(Match 6)
David Morris 5-6 Michael Georgiou ​(Match 11)
Stuart Carrington 6-4 Liam Highfield ​(Match 18)
Ken Doherty 6-0 Tony Drago ​(Match 40)

Evening Session - 1930 (First Round)
Ding Junhui 2-6 Adam Duffy (Match 16)
Liang Wenbo 6-1 Gareth Allen (Match 19)
Anthony McGill 6-3 James Cahill ​(Match 51)
Michael White 5-6 Sydney Wilson ​(Match 60)
Jack Lisowski 6-4 Zak Surety ​(Match 8)
Gary Wilson 6-3 Martin O'Donnell ​(Match 9)
Joe Swail 6-0 Joel Walker ​(Match 15)
Tom Ford 6-1 Scott Donaldson ​(Match 22)

Wednesday November 25
Morning Session - 0930 (First Round)
Michael Holt 6-4 Fraser Patrick (Match 14)
Mark Williams 6-4 Hamza Akbar (Match 21)
Ricky Walden 6-1 Itaro Santos ​(Match 44)
Ryan Day 6-1 Duane Jones ​(Match 58)
Jimmy Robertson 6-4 Lu Ning ​(Match 20)
Mike Dunn 6-3 Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon ​(Match 24)
Gerard Greene 6-0 Michael Leslie ​(Match 25)
Zhou Yuelong 6-3 Craig Steadman ​(Match 31)

Afternoon Session - 1430 (First Round)
Shaun Murphy 6-1 Ashley Hugill (Match 32)
Rory McLeod 5-6 Jamie Cope (Match 38)
Ali Carter 6-4 Alfie Burden ​(Match 46)
​Joe Perry 6-1 James Watana (Match 53)
Peter Ebdon 6-0 Lyu Chenwei ​(Match 4)
Yu De Lu 6-2 Michael Wasley ​(Match 27)
Mark King 5-6 Ross Muir ​(Match 29)
Jamie Burnett 6-1 Sanderson Lam ​(Match 41)

Evening Session - 1930 (First Round)
Judd Trump 6-1 Hammad Miah (Match 17)
Marco Fu 6-2 Hatem Yassen (Match 28)
​Ben Woollaston 6-1 Steven Hallworth (Match 30)
Alan McManus 6-5 Eden Sharav ​(Match 42)
Matthew Stevens 5-6 Chris Wakelin ​(Match 13)
Aditya Mehta 6-5 Sam Baird ​(Match 34)
Li Hang 6-5 Lee Walker ​(Match 43)
Tian Pengei 6-1 Ian Burns ​(Match 47)​

Thursday November 26
Morning Session - 0930 (First Round)
Robert Milkins 6-0 Vinnie Calabrese (Match 5)
Graeme Dott 6-2 Nigel Bond (Match 7)
Barry Hawkins 6-5 Andy Hicks ​(Match 49)
Mark Allen 6-2 Zhao Xintong ​(Match 12)
Rod Lawler 4-6 Daniel Wells ​(Match 45)
Robin Hull 6-4 Zhang Anda ​(Match 50)
Robbie Williams 6-3 Mitchell Mann ​(Match 54)
Dechawat Poomjaeng 6-4 Chris Melling ​(Match 57)

Afternoon Session - 1430 (First Round)
Stuart Bingham 6-1 Jordan Brown (Match 1)
David Gilbert 6-1 James Weston (Match 26)
Fergal O'Brien 6-5 Thor Chaun Leong ​(Match 35)
Mark Selby 6-0 Joe O'Connor ​(Match 64)
Anthony Hamilton 6-4 Peter Lines ​(Match 2)
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 6-3 Darryl Hill ​(Match 36)
Kurt Mafflin 3-6 Sean O'Sullivan ​(Match 56)
Mark Joyce 6-4 Barry Pinches ​(Match 59)

Evening Session - 1930 (First Round)
Kyren Wilson 6-3 Paul S Davison (Match 23)
Neil Robertson 6-3 Alex Taubman (Match 33)
Stephen Maguire 6-5 Jimmy White ​(Match 37)
Matthew Selt 6-5 Zhang Yong ​(Match 55)
Dominic Dale 6-0 Michael Wild ​(Match 3)
Luca Brecel 6-1 Hossein Vafaei Ayouri ​(Match 52)
Xiao Guodong 6-5 Noppon Saengkham ​(Match 61)
Cao Yupeng 2-6 Oliver Lines ​(Match 63)

Friday November 27
No Play

Saturday November 28
Afternoon Session - 1300 (Second Round)
Stuart Bingham 6-3 Anthony Hamilton (Match 65)
Mark Williams 5-6 Tom Ford (Match 75)
Yu De Lu 0-6 Marco Fu ​(Match 78)
Tian Pengei 2-6 John Higgins ​(Match 88)
Graeme Dott 5-6 Jack Lisowski ​(Match 68)
Gary Wilson 2-6 Martin Gould ​(Match 69)
Liang Wenbo 6-2 Jimmy Robertson (Match 74)
Mark Davis 6-3 Ken Doherty ​(Match 84)

Evening Session - 1900 (Second Round)
Joe Swail 6-5 Adam Duffy (Match 72)
Zhou Yuelong 1-6 Shaun Murphy (Match 80)
Li Hang 5-6 Ricky Walden ​(Match 86)
Joe Perry 3-6 Robbie Williams ​(Match 91)
Kyren Wilson 6-2 Mike Dunn ​(Match 76)
Gerard Greene 5-6 David Gilbert ​(Match 77)
Ross Muir 5-6 Ben Woollaston ​(Match 79)
Jamie Burnett 6-3 Alan McManus ​(Match 85)

Sunday November 29
Afternoon Session - 1300 (Second Round)
Michael Georgiou 2-6 Mark Allen (Match 70)
Judd Trump 6-3 Stuart Carrington (Match 73)
Mark Joyce 6-2 Sydney Wilson ​(Match 94)
Oliver Lines 0-6 Mark Selby ​(Match 96)
Chris Wakelin 2-6 Michael Holt ​(Match 71)
Daniel Wells 3-6 Ali Carter ​(Match 87)
Matthew Selt 6-4 Sean O'Sullivan ​(Match 92)
Dechawat Poomjaeng 6-2 Ryan Day ​(Match 93)

Evening Session - 1900 (Second Round)
Robert Milkins 2-6 David Grace (Match 67)
Neil Robertson 6-2 Aditya Mehta (Match 81)
Stephen Maguire 6-0 Jamie Cope ​(Match 83)
Barry Hawkins 3-6 Robin Hull ​(Match 89)
Dominic Dale 5-6 Peter Ebdon ​(Match 66)
Fergal O'Brien 5-6 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh ​(Match 82)
Anthony McGill 4-6 Luca Brecel ​(Match 90)
Xiao Guodong 1-6 Jamie Jones ​(Match 95)

Monday November 30
Afternoon Session - 1300 (Third Round)
Stuart Bingham 3-6 Peter Ebdon (Match 97)
Jamie Burnett 6-3 Li Hang (Match 107)
Ali Carter 2-6 John Higgins (Match 108)
Robbie Williams 3-6 Matthew Selt (Match 110)

Evening Session - 1900 (Third Round)
David Grace 6-4 Jack Lisowski (Match 98)
Michael Holt 1-6 Joe Swail (Match 100)
Robin Hull 2-6 Luca Brecel (Match 109)
Jamie Jones 5-6 Mark Selby (Match 112)

Tuesday December 1
Afternoon Session - 1300 (Third Round)
Martin Gould 6-4 Mark Allen (Match 99)
Tom Ford 6-1 Kyren Wilson (Match 102)
Ben Woollaston 2-6 Shaun Murphy (Match 104)
Stephen Maguire 6-4 Mark Davis (Match 106)

Evening Session - 1900 (Third Round)
Judd Trump 4-6 Liang Wenbo (Match 101)
David Gilbert 3-6 Marco Fu (Match 103)
Neil Robertson 6-2 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Match 105)
Dechawat Poomjaeng 6-5 Mark Joyce (Match 111)

Wednesday December 2
Afternoon Session - 1300 (Fourth Round)
Peter Ebdon 2-6 David Grace
Mark Selby 6-1 Dechawat Poomjaeng

Evening Session - 1900 (Fourth Round)
Marco Fu 6-4 Shaun Murphy
Luca Brecel 4-6 Matthew Selt

Thursday December 3
Afternoon Session - 1300 (Fourth Round)
Liang Wenbo 6-5 Tom Ford
Neil Robertson 6-1 Stephen Maguire

Evening Session - 1900 (Fourth Round)
Martin Gould 6-3 Joe Swail
Jamie Burnett 4-6 John Higgins

Friday December 4
Afternoon Session - 1300 (Quarter-Finals)
Liang Wenbo 6-5 Marco Fu
Neil Robertson 6-5 John Higgins

Evening Session - 1900 (Quarter-Finals)
David Grace 6-5 Martin Gould
Matthew Selt 1-6 Mark Selby

Saturday December 5
Afternoon Session - 1300 (Semi-Finals)
David Grace 4-6 Liang Wenbo

Evening Session - 1900 (Semi-Finals)
Neil Robertson 6-0 Mark Selby

Sunday December 6 - (Final)
Liang Wenbo 5-10 Neil Robertson