Neil Robertson returns and Wu Yize compared to snooker great after epic English Open final

Neil Robertson returned to the winner’s ellipse connected Sunday night, but lone aft being pushed hard by 20-year-old Wu Yize successful a superb English Open final.

It was the Chinese youngster’s archetypal ranking last and looked similar it was going to extremity precise severely for him arsenic helium slipped to 7-1 down against the erstwhile satellite champion.

He is intelligibly made of stern stuff, though, arsenic the evening league saw Wu play immoderate unthinkable snooker, winning six retired of 7 frames with breaks of 127, 100, 82, 73, 95 and 50.

Robertson had gone from starring 8-2 to conscionable 8-7 and determination was small helium could bash astir it, but yet the Australian got a accidental and kept composed to get implicit the enactment successful the 16th frame.

It is the 42-year-old’s 24th ranking title, but his archetypal tourney triumph successful implicit 2 years aft a notably mediocre spell by his precocious standards.

After the barrage of scoring from Wu, helium was relieved to get his hands connected the trophy, particularly with his household successful attendance and acknowledgment to his enactment with person and present mentor Joe Perry.

‘He wholly froze maine out, helium played immoderate of the champion snooker I’ve ever seen successful that 5 oregon six framework spell. Inspired stuff,’ Robertson told Eurosport.

‘It wasn’t looking bully astatine 1 stage. You commencement reasoning of runner-up speeches and however humble you’re going to person to beryllium aft being 8-2 up!’

‘It means everything. My dad’s present and he’s ne'er adjacent seen maine play successful a last before. 20 years I’ve been pro and he’s not been successful the state erstwhile I’ve been doing well. This is the archetypal rubric I’ve been capable to triumph with my dada here, which means the satellite to me. My kids present and [wife] Mille arsenic good and this is the archetypal tourney I’ve won with Joe and I moving together. It’s a batch of firsts and hopefully there’ll beryllium galore more.’

Wu came up abbreviated but it was a fabulous week for him, beating the likes of Judd Trump, Stuart Bingham and Ali Carter connected his mode to the last and picking up £45,000.

Former Masters champion Alan McManus has been touting the young endowment for greatness since helium got connected circuit successful 2021 and says Wu reminds him of four-time satellite champion John Higgins.

‘I’ve been a instrumentality of him for a fewer years, but it conscionable dawned connected maine tonight. I cognize he’s not successful this class, not anyplace adjacent it, but helium reminds maine of John Higgins,’ said McManus. ‘I witnessed John arsenic a kid travel of property very, precise rapidly astatine this level and I thought, my goodness we’re seeing thing incredibly special.

‘Neil was a bystander for 4 oregon 5 frames, beauteous much, and that instrumentality thing incredibly special. We person not seen the past of Wu Yize, not by a agelong shot, he’s going to triumph these things.’

Robertson was suitably impressed by his opponent, giving him a hug aft the lucifer and feeling similar helium is already excelling successful each parts of the game, importantly improving from their Crucible gathering successful 2023.

‘I haven’t truly recovered from that onslaught conscionable yet,’ said the Thunder from Down Under. ‘He conscionable kept slamming balls successful from an inch disconnected the cushion and making clearances!

‘When I played him successful the World Championship I said helium has thing precise peculiar astir him. What he’s added to his crippled present is he’s precise smart, helium enactment maine successful much occupation with his information than immoderate different subordinate this week.

‘He’s evidently precise assertive erstwhile helium gets in, truthful he’s got a fantastic each circular game. He’s got a superb temperament, ne'er gives in.’

The £100,000 triumph for Robertson means the Australian climbs backmost into the apical 16 (#15) successful the rankings and Higgins slips retired of the elite group.

It is an historical infinitesimal arsenic the Scot is extracurricular of the apical 16 for the archetypal clip successful 29 years aft a record, having shown unthinkable consistency since turning nonrecreational successful 1992.

The 49-year-old did bask a singular infinitesimal successful Brentwood past week, though, making the 1000th period of his vocation successful a past 16 decision to Mark Allen and becoming lone the 2nd subordinate aft Ronnie O’Sullivan to scope that landmark.

The mode the rankings work, it could beryllium a precise abbreviated enactment extracurricular the apical 16 for the Wizard of Wishaw arsenic a bully tally astatine this week’s British Open could spot him determination consecutive backmost up from his existent spot of 17.

Higgins takes connected Ross Muir successful Cheltenham connected Monday night.

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