By Elliott West
“Considering the opposition, it has to be the best comeback of my career”.
Neil Robertson
Introduction
Last night two of the snooker greats, John Higgins and Neil Robertson met to play for one of the most wanted trophies on this year’s snooker schedule, the Cazoo Tour Championship. Whittled down from eight players to two, the two best players of the tournament gathered to battle it out for one last time in front of a capacity audience in Llandudno for this prequel to next month’s World Championship, a spotlight that revealed how these two players might fare when they play in the upcoming 17-day snooker marathon that awaits them at the Crucible in Sheffield.
Locking Horns
In the afternoon session, it was the Wizard of Wishaw, John Higgins who got off to the flying start with Higgins winning an epic 50-minute first frame on the black, a 136 clearance in the second and another century in the third frame. Perhaps Higgins was racing to catch a glimpse of the Old Firm football match being played out closer to home. It remained to be seen how his Australian opponent would respond? Robertson fans didn’t have to wait long because, in the next frame, Neil put his mark on the match with a 130 clearance and then closed the gap with a 3-2 scoreline. A trend which he repeated in the next with a century break, making it the 31st of this year’s Cazoo Tour Championship.
Higgins undeterred by this Robertson fightback entertained the crowd with what nearly beat the highest 140 break of the tournament, stopped short by missing the final pink. An effort that gave the Scot a 4-3 advantage and topped off the afternoon session with another frame to lead the match going into the evening 5-3. A session that was highly entertaining, produced fireworks, drama and five centuries.
In the evening session, Higgins continued his race for the title taking the first two frames to make it 7-3 and then 8-3, really turning the screw on his opponent with his five frame advantage. Robertson was really floundering in this match and it would take a truly Herculean effort if he was to get back into the groove. Thankfully we didn’t have to wait long as Robertson managed to take the last frame before the last interval.
Higgins was hungry and ready to get his hands on this prized title and wasn’t prepared to take any prisoners on this snooker quest. Brimming with confidence, he took the first frame after the interval, making it 9-4 and one away from raising the trophy. However what ensued it probably the best ever comebacks that I ever witnessed in snooker. With his chips firmly on the floor, Neil got out his shovel and dug so deep that he could have reached his native home of Australia. Frame after frame, he pushed the Scot back, reducing the deficit until he matched him at 9-9 to go into a deciding frame. What an amazing achievement and so powerful to watch in the audience live or on television. Higgins was stunned at this point and it remained to be seen if he could calm his nerves when it really mattered.
Afterthoughts
In the end, though, the Robertson wave crashed through the Llandudno sea barrier and burst the banks. Higgins continues to be the nearly man in these epic battles and his opponent must be brimming with confidence after this 10-9 victory, a match which he had lost for most of it. A prize that makes him £150,000 richer and secured his 23rd ranking title. Robertson is a true champion and has left Judd Trump in the shadows this season after Judd won five tournaments last season and only the Turkish Masters this one. This makes the Australian a clear favourite for the World Championship and it will take an opponent of some form to beat this fightback king from Melbourne, Australia. Could this be his year at the World Championship, a title that he first won in 2010?
