| Cazoo World Championship |
|---|
| Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 15 April-1 May |
| Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV and Red Button with uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app |
Neil Robertson says he will leave “no stone unturned” in his bid to win a second World Championship after ruthlessly dispatching Chinese debutant Wu Yize 10-3 in the first round.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Holding a 6-3 lead overnight, Robertson opened up with a century and then made two sublime 146 breaks – the highest of the tournament so far – as he wrapped up victory in just over an hour on Sunday.
“It’s the best I have played here for sure,” the 2010 champion told BBC Sport.
“What let me down last year is I was probably a bit too open and naive. I made it very hard for him [Wu] and didn’t give him any easy chances through a poor shot or reckless safety. This year the mindset is perfect.”
Robertson’s failure to add to his Crucible triumph 13 years ago is a mystery within the game, with the 41-year-old Australian widely regarded as one of the circuit’s most gifted players.
He will face Welshman Jak Jones in the second round, acutely aware he has not even managed to get to the one-table set-up that comes with the semi-finals since 2014.
“I played absolutely fantastic. He earned all his chances and for a debut he made two tons and an 82 and he hardly did anything wrong,” added Robertson, who is now the only player to make breaks of 145, 146 and 147 at the Crucible.
“My preparation coming in has been the best it’s ever been. I’ve been practising multiple times every day because you have to be ready to play well in the morning, afternoon and evening. There is going to be no stone unturned this year.”
Jones shocks Carter as Brecel scrapes through
Crucible newcomer Jones made a century and two half-centuries in the closing session of his 10-6 win over two-time runner-up Ali Carter.
World number 52 Jones, who surprised Barry Hawkins in the qualifiers, always had the upper hand after resuming 5-4 up and made Carter pay for a simple missed blue in the 12th frame.
He then pinched a pivotal 14th frame on the colours, after the Englishman played a poor safety on the yellow, as he pulled clear to cause the first upset of the tournament.
Luca Brecel won a final-frame decider 10-9 against Ricky Walden as he reached the second round of the tournament at the sixth attempt.
The Belgian ninth seed resumed 6-3 up and made two half centuries to move within a frame of victory at 9-6.
However, it took a nerveless break of 84 to settle the contest after England’s Walden had raised the prospects of a remarkable turnaround by rattling in breaks of 73 and 91 as he reeled off three frames in a row.
Brecel will take on three-time champion Mark Williams or Jimmy Robertson in his next match.
Ruthless Robertson crushes Wu
A long, straight red dispatched in trademark fashion to the bottom-right corner pocket set the tone for a dominant display by Robertson, who has also won three UK titles and the Masters twice.
When Wu narrowly failed with his own attempt to the same pocket in the 11th frame, it enabled sixth seed Robertson to dole out heavy punishment from among the balls, as he made the third of his four centuries in the match.
Wu briefly rallied in the next, a stunning three-ball plant down the left cushion a highlight of the afternoon, but then missed a pink to the middle.
That allowed Robertson to take the frame with a 58 and he dropped in another long red in the final frame before exhibiting exemplary cue-ball control and his full repertoire of shots as he made his second 146 in three frames.
Analysis
Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry on BBC Two
That is as good as it gets from Neil Robertson. It was unbelievable snooker.
You normally don’t want to play your best snooker early because you want to get better as the tournament goes on, but nothing will give you more confidence than that. It was incredible.
1991 world champion John Parrott
If Neil plays like that every session, or close to it, he will win the World Championship again because you can’t play better than that.
His cue ball, his focus, everything about that session was brilliant. He has obviously put the work in because you wouldn’t be playing like that without the graft.
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