Neil Robertson joins the Greats

Last night Neil Robertson became only the 8^th player to win the snooker triple crown – World, UK and Masters titles

In an engrossing final, Robertson came from 5-1 & 6-3 behind to win 10-7. After lacking fluency in the opening session he did well to come out of it only two frames behind at 5-3. A more positive Robertson appeared for the evening session, throwing off the shackles of Selby’s safety and becoming more aggressive was key. Robertson was getting in first and making the most of his chances each frame.

Although struggling throughout Selby was never too far behind and looked to pounce on an unusual error in the 16^th frame when Robertson missed a regulation frame ball pink. However Selby missed the easiest of final blacks much to the shock of himself, Neil and the audience. Robertson tapped in the black and a wave of relief was visible on his face. He held his never in the next frame to complete an emotional victory. 

Had Selby potted that black the match would have been level and thoughts of that Pink may have manifested over the next few frames. However he didn't and the rest is history,. 

Neil finishes the year as the World Number One and is a fantastic role model and spokesperson for the sport. He is the first overseas player to complete the Triple Crown and joins a very prestigious group who have done so before: Alex Higgins, Terry Griffiths, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, Mark Williams & Ronnie O’Sullivan. 

I’ve said in previous articles that I believe Neil is the most complete player on the tour at the moment and he should be the yardstick by which everyone else is measured. He joins Ding Junhui on 9 ranking title’s victories and I can see him closing in on Mark Williams 18 over the next five seasons.

The next tournament will be the Masters on the 12^th of January from the Alexandra Palace, London.

The Final Eight - UK Championships

So after 10 days of action, 120 players have been eliminated from the 2013 UK Championships. The threat of top players not reaching the final stages has not materialised and we are left with the cream of the crop. Many of the fears I highlighted in my preview piece have sadly come true. World Snooker has simply blamed these teething problems on the venue & it appears this will be the last year the event is held in York – a crying shame.

Mark Selby v Barry Hawkins

Mark Selby’s progress has been quiet and unspectacular; however he hasn’t overexerted himself and should feel very fresh for the upcoming challenges. Barry Hawkins played well to defeat Shaun Murphy and looks like he is returning to the form that got him to the Crucible final Seven Months ago. I think Selby will have enough to avenge Hawkins defeat of him at the World Championships earlier this year.

Mark Selby 6-3 Barry Hawkins

Mark Allen v Ricky Walden

After a very shaky start yesterday against Judd Trump, Mark Allen steadied himself to win four frames on the spin from 4-2 down. Trump has every right to feel aggrieved today as he was in complete control and let it slip yesterday. Ricky Walden ended Ding Junhui’s 22 match winning streak in full ranking events with his 6-4 win. Ricky was far from his best but had enough to defeat a well under par Ding, it wasn’t a classic but Walden will be pleased progress against such a decorated opponent. I think Allen will have too much for Ricky and will win.

Mark Allen 6-3 Ricky Walden

Neil Robertson v Stephen Maguire

I have no doubt in my mind that Robertson is the best player in the game at the moment. He dispatched of a poor Joe Perry last night 6-1 while Stephen defeated a confidence stricken John Higgins 6-2 on Tuesday night. This could be a cracker, there were signs Maguire was hitting the ball well against Higgins & he won’t be bullied by Robertson. However I still fancy Robertson to win due to his clinical ability in the balls, he is less likely to break down and allow counter clearances in tight frames – which are usually the key frames in close matches.

Robertson 6-4 Maguire

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Stuart Bingham

This I fear won’t be very exciting but will still take centre stage on the BBC, as all of O’Sullivan’s matches have so far. He is the biggest draw but you don’t make new stars by giving nobody else airtime, as has been the case so far this week. I fancy O'Sullivan to win this one, he's not been cueing that well this week but has been taking his chances. If Stuart doesn't get overawed he will give himself a very good chance of causing an upset.

O’Sullivan 6-1 Bingham