After a week of hotly competitive snooker, we have a new Masters champion in Australia’s Neil Robertson. Former winners Mark Williams, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby all fell by the wayside as well as the sport’s new poster boy Judd Trump to pit two players who had never even made the final of this event before against each other.
The Thunder from Down Under beat Rotherham’s Shaun Murphy 10-6 to lift the crystal trophy and went into this final having never lost when he’s made it to the business end of the tournament. Murphy meanwhile, nicknamed the Magician, was just missing the Masters crown from his CV winning snooker’s other two majors earlier in his career.
Robertson took a tight first frame on the black, but his opponent responded winning the next two making a 102 in the third to go in front. The Australian levelled by eclipsing Murphy’s highest break by a point in the next and then retook the lead. The Magician kept neck and neck with Robertson, but he did edge the opening session 5-3.
Finely poised after the first eight frames, the Thunder from Down Under won four of the first five on the evening to pull away from Murphy. A tactical ninth saw the Magician just get over the line to go one frame behind, but it was the last time he was in touch with the man from Melbourne.
Missing a plant in frame ten was an error by Murphy which Robertson punished to full effect, clearing up to make another century after an excellent green. A tense and scrappy eleventh was won by the Australian to go 7-4 ahead. Frame twelve was also punctuated with tactical battles and safety play. Robertson again got over the line here to go within two of victory.
A 76 in the thirteenth put the Thunder from Down Under even closer to the title. This came after Murphy left Robertson in amongst the balls having split the pack, though a plant was needed to set up the break. On the verge of defeat, the Magician battled hard and kept the Australian off the table in the next two frames.
Two chances were needed in the fourteenth and an 86 in frame 15 following two superb pots on a red and a blue reduced Murphy’s arrears to 9-6. A pair of great cannons helped to seal the match for Robertson in the next. The Australian adds this major honour to the World Championship he won in 2010.
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