World Championship snooker latest: Former Crucible champion Neil Robertson into second round

By Sporting Life

Snooker

Mon April 17, 2023 · 2y ago

Neil Robertson delivered an impressive display to cruise into the second round of the World Championship in Sheffield with victory against Wu Yize.

The Australian fashioned an overnight 6-3 lead over the Chinese debutant before rattling off a century, and then two brilliant 146 breaks – the highest in the tournament so far – as he completed a 10-3 win in just over an hour.

Robertson has flattered to deceive at the Crucible since his solitary title win in 2010, but his impressive first-round triumph over Wu will provide the 41-year-old with immense confidence heading into the remainder of the tournament.

“It was crazy, really,” said Robertson, who will face either Jak Jones or Ali Carter in the last 16.

“I was able to be ultra-clinical and to make two 146 breaks was really nice.

“My preparation has been the best it has ever been – I have been practising twice a day – and that has played a massive part in my game.

“Where it leads, who knows? Hopefully I am still here in a couple of weeks, but if I am not, at least I have done everything right in my preparation.”

Predicting the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible

Bingham blows away Gilbert

Stuart Bingham earlier also made smooth progress into the second round by converting his overnight lead into a commanding triumph over David Gilbert.

Former world champion Bingham set up a meeting with Mark Allen or Fan Zhengyi as he turned an overnight lead of 6-3 into a 10-4 result, maintaining a perfect record in 13 matches against his opponent.

Bingham had slipped 3-1 behind during Saturday’s play, but was dominant thereafter and wrapped up the four he needed with minimal fuss in the first session.

Having already won the match, the 2015 victor was looking to end on a high as he sniffed a century break. However, he had to settle for a run of 98 as he failed to convert the final red from the cushion.

Crucible debutant Jak Jones claimed one of the biggest wins of his career when beating Ali Carter 10-6.

Carter has enjoyed a fine season, winning the German Masters earlier in the year, but he was a long way below his best here and cut a frustrated figure as the match slipped from his grasp.

In contrast, Jones was largely faultless and surged over the winning line as he put together a run of three frames to set up a second-round meeting with Robertson.

On the other table, Luca Brecel withstood a stern comeback from Ricky Walden before coming through a deciding frame to secure victory.

Walden rallied brilliantly from 8-5 and 9-6 down to take the match the distance, only for Brecel to steel himself and produce a nerveless match-winning break 84.

"Even at 9-8 I was quite confident but when it gets to 9-9 you have to be a different animal, flick the switch," Brecel said.

"I just wanted to get it out of the way and play in the second round. It’s going to be very special."

Williams and Ding made to work

Three-time world champion Mark Williams trails by one frame in his first-round clash with Jimmy Robertson.

Both men traded blows in a fascinating afternoon session, but it is the Englishman who carries a slender 5-4 overnight lead after he won the final frame.

Earlier, 2016 finalist Ding Junhui led Iran’s Hossein Vafaei 5-4 in a tightly contested affair.

Ding took the first frame and then compiled a clearance worth 72 to go 2-0 up, but Vafaei had shown glimpses of form with a couple of striking long pots.

He was relieved to open his account with a spot of good fortune, edging a tense 40-minute third frame when a missed double on the pink crept unexpectedly into the corner pocket.

After the scores were levelled, Ding reeled off a break of 134 to clear the table but he could not get away from his opponent.

An uncharacteristic early error on the brown opened the door for Vafaei to take the seventh and he also landed the final frame of the session to keep the deficit at one ahead of Monday’s resumption.