World Grand Prix 2021 - Neil Robertson fends off Mark Selby fightback to book place in final in Coventry
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Published 17/12/2021 at 22:39 GMT
Neil Robertson produced some polished snooker to beat Mark Selby and book his place in the final of the World Grand Prix. Robertson arrived in Coventry on the back of four wins on the spin against the current world champion, and he extended that positive record in the semi-finals of the event on Friday.
Neil Robertson
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Neil Robertson extended his winning run against Mark Selby to book his place in the final of the World Grand Prix with a 6-3 win.
The Australian had won four on the spin against Selby heading into Coventry, and made it five in impressive fashion.
It had the feeling of one-way traffic early on, as Robertson raced out of the blocks with breaks of 82 and 93. Selby took the third and pinched a lengthy fourth as he threatened to derail Robertson, but the Australian came out after the interval in a positive frame of mind and seized control of the match.
Robertson arrived in Coventry in good form, after winning the English Open last month, and with a good recent record against Selby to draw on. He made a statement of intent when he picked out a glorious plant with the rest which helped propel a run of 82 to secure the opener.
Robertson carried the momentum from the opener into the second, as a break of 93 kept his opponent glued to his chair.
Selby was kept cold for the first couple of frames and his radar was awry by some distance with a long red at the start of the third. But he did not leave Robertson an easy starter, and the Australian ran out of position. Selby is quite happy to win ugly - he settled the nerves by taking the frame via a couple of contributions.
Selby is a master at winning long frames, and he proved the point when taking the fourth. It was a frame with a host of twists. Selby was the first to err, as he hit the black when attempting to fashion a plant of two reds. Shortly afterwards, Robertson called a foul on himself after feathering the cue ball.
The frame looked like going to the Australian when he missed a thin safety off a red, only to hit a different red which dropped into the left middle. Selby required a snooker with only three balls on the table, but got it on the blue and then knocked in a pressure pink to draw level at the interval.
Selby got in first in the frame after the interval on the back of a poor Robertson break, but he lost position and totally miscued a black when attempting to play safe. It presented the Australian with a tough opener, but he knocked a great red into right middle and showed tremendous cue power to split the pack off the black.
Robertson never found perfect control of the cue ball, but he pulled out a series of excellent pots to expel the misery of the previous frame from the memory banks with a break of 74.
Robertson began the sixth with a couple of attempted reds which missed by a distance, leaving the Australian to shake his head as he trudged back to his chair. Selby did not take advantage, and a break of 67 from the 2010 world champion restored his two-frame advantage.
There was controversy in the seventh, as Robertson was called for a foul. The Australian questioned the decision, as he was deemed to have moved a red that was called a touching ball. Despite his questioning, replays proved the referee had made the correct call. Selby did not pass up the gift, as he hoovered up a 112 to cut the gap.
Robertson sat nervously in his seat as Selby got in again in the eighth, aware of what happened before the interval. However, the world champion did not get a kind split of the pack and Robertson halted the fightback with a 74.
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One frame from defeat, Selby attempted to drag the contest into the weeds with a cagey safety battle. Robertson was wise to the threat and remained patient.
Selby eventually attempted to force the issue with an aggressive safety, but he lost the cue ball and presented Robertson with a chance. It was one he took, as he solved the puzzle of a difficult table with remarkable ease to secure the win via a break of 71.
For Selby, the lean season continues and he needs good results in the final two qualifying events to secure a place in the Players Championship.
Robertson now has a day off, and will likely hope Stuart Bingham and Ronnie O’Sullivan go deep in their semi-final on Saturday evening.
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