English Open: Neil Robertson books final spot with big win over Chris Wakelin as quest to end title drought continues
Updated 22/09/2024 at 12:12 GMT+1
Neil Robertson reached his first final in more than two years after defeating Chris Wakelin 6-1 in Saturday's 2024 English Open semi-final at the Brentwood Centre. The Australian scored a match-high 92 break as he advanced to Sunday's final, where he will play 20-year-old Wu Yize who overcame India's Ishpreet Singh Chadha earlier in the day. Robertson last won a title in 2022.
Neil Robertson
Image credit: Getty Images
Neil Robertson beat Chris Wakelin in Brentwood on Saturday to reach the 2024 English Open final, where he will come up against the impressive Wu Yize in Sunday’s final.
‘The Thunder from Down Under’ claimed a stunning 6-1 victory in the best-of-11 battle as he continued his bid to end a long wait for a title, as he last tasted success during a glittering 2021/22 campaign.
Robertson’s latest triumph came at the Tour Championship in April 2022 - the most recent final he played in.
The world No. 26 also won the English Open in 2021/22 - along with The Masters and Players Championship - and will meet the 20-year-old Wu in Sunday’s showdown - after he beat Ishpreet Singh Chadha 6-0 earlier on Saturday - in a bid to win the trophy for a second time.
In Saturday’s semi-final against Wakelin, Robertson was fortunate to take the early lead following a dramatic opening frame which lasted 33 minutes.
Wakelin built a considerable lead, but gifted Robertson the opportunity to clear the table as he needed all six colours to steal the frame. He managed up to the green, but Wakelin made another blunder when attempting to play a safety shot, knocking in the white off the green. This time, Robertson capitalised to take the lead.
It was a contrasting second frame, in which Robertson delivered a 92 break to overturn a 27-point deficit and extend his advantage, but a brilliant run of 82 from Wakelin in response kept the Brit within touching distance.
Robertson looked to restore his two-frame buffer when he moved ahead and chased the reds and pinks for his third frame. Wakelin got back in, but after a bad slice of luck on an attempt at a black to left middle - which miraculously stayed out - Robertson returned to the baize and closed out the frame with a composed break of 47.
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Wu seals ‘one-sided’ victory over Singh to advance to English Open final
Video credit: TNT Sports
Robertson built a 62-point lead in frame five and left Wakelin needing a snooker, which the No. 24 rank achieved and as Robertson failed to find an escape route, the frame remained alive.
It became a battle for the final red between Robertson and Wakelin, which the former eventually sunk with a delightful pot to left centre for a 4-1 lead.
A composed break of 71 followed as Robertson moved to within a frame of victory, and with the contest all but settled, he sent down a terrific, long red from the top rail to the green pocket in the final frame.
He wrapped up what turned out to be a comfortable encounter with a break of 42 to seal his first final appearance in more than two years.
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