Brilliant Perry Stuns Robertson

Joe Perry fired three consecutive century breaks as he beat Neil Robertson 6-2 to reach the final of the Hanteng Autos World Open in China.

World number 11 Perry is into the fourth ranking event final of his career and will have the chance to win his second title having captured his maiden crown at the Players Championship last year.

On Sunday he’ll face Ali Carter, a 6-1 winner over Thepchaiya Un-Nooh today, over 19 frames with the winner to collect the trophy and £90,000 first prize. It will be the second consecutive ranking final between two players outside the top ten in the world, following the clash between Anthony McGill and Kyren Wilson at the Indian Open.

Perry, age 41, went 2-0 up today with breaks of 70 and 63 before his close friend Robertson recovered to 2-2 with runs of 78 and 76.

Chatteris cueman Perry then hit top form after the interval as three tons in a row – 132, 102 and 120 – put him 5-2 up. And he sealed victory in the next frame with a break of 91.

“I played really well and it all came together,” said Perry. “I felt calm and relaxed. For once I felt like I do when I’m practising, and that’s a nice feeling. It’s a massive win for me because Neil is the best player in the game.

“Tomorrow will be a really tough game because Ali is one of the best match players on the circuit. When you get to a ranking final you know it’s going to be tough. We will both be as hungry as the other.

“I like coming to China, I’ve had some success here and I always try to enjoy the experience.”

Robertson, who won the Riga Masters last month, said: “It’s the best I’ve ever seen Joe play. From 2-2 he played fantastic snooker and there wasn’t much I could do. A few times I went into the pack and didn’t land on a red, whereas he was getting better splits. Sometimes that can be the difference in a match. I have to congratulate him on a great performance.”