English Open 2020: Ronnie O'Sullivan reveals who has the best cue action in snooker history
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Updated 19/10/2020 at 15:38 GMT
World champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has paid the ultimate tribute to Neil Robertson's technique despite his 9-8 defeat to world number one Judd Trump in the English Open final. The Australian had led 7-4, but was edged out 9-8 by Trump in an epic duel behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
Ronnie O'Sullivan of England reacts
Image credit: Getty Images
Ronnie O'Sullivan admits he would love to have the cue action of Neil Robertson after studying the 2010 world champion at close range during an epic battle with world number one Judd Trump in the English Open final at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
In a standard loaded with heavy scoring, one-visit snooker and audacious potting, Robertson led 7-4 from 3-1 behind, but could not quite scramble over the winning line with Trump finding his very best form when he needed it most in an epic 9-8 triumph that saw him collect the Steve Davis trophy and a £70,000 first prize with his 10th straight victory in a ranking event final – one behind Stephen Hendry's all-time record of 11.
Robertson outscored Trump with breaks of 128, 125, 114, 75, 75, 65, 61 and 56 with his Sunday best yet astonishingly still lost the match as his opponent produced 76, 59, 55, 52, 51 and a supreme closing 114 to deny the Melbourne man in a free-flowing decider behind closed doors.
World champion O'Sullivan believes Robertson should not be overly disappointed with his week's work that saw him compile 12 centuries as he claimed Australia's leading player possesses the "best cue action there has ever been".
O'Sullivan feels the two men bring the best out in each other, but believes Trump would have been forced to alter his style if three-times world champion and master tactician Mark Selby – who lost 6-5 to Robertson in the semi-finals on Saturday – had reached the final.
"You've got two players like that with cue actions that are so good they can just feed off each other and play unbelievable snooker," O'Sullivan told Eurosport. "If Selby had been in that final, he would have stifled Judd and you wouldn't get the free-flowing stuff.
But when you have got two ultimate cueists like that, when they just drill through every shot. The accuracy and the power they play with, it's hard not to get a good match.
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Watch Trump clinch English Open title with stunning break
It takes styles to get matches like that. If Selby had played Judd today, it wouldn't have been that type of game and Judd would have had to find other ways of dominating the table.
"Selby wouldn't have allowed him to play that type of snooker. It take styles, almost like a boxing match.
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Trump: 'Robertson the better player in tough final'
Robertson has got the best cue action there has ever been, there's no doubt about it. So smooth, just straight through the ball, so smooth for a big guy as well and Judd is a fantastic cueist, more dynamic, more power. His body shudders as he hits the ball sometimes.
"When you hear the ball hitting the back of the pocket like that. Crack, crack, crack. That's pure cueing."
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