Australia’s Neil Robertson inflicted more misery on 2015 World Champion Stuart Bingham, following up a whitewash victory in last Sunday’s World Grand Prix final, with a 6-4 win at the Sportsbet.io Players Championship in Telford.
The pair crossed cues out in Hong Kong for the title match of the Players Series opener nine days ago. Robertson prevailed on that occasion with a devastating 10-0 triumph. That was Bingham’s first appearance in a ranking final for five years, but it didn’t end the way he’d hoped.
A fine season has seen 2010 Crucible king Robertson force his way back into the world’s top 16. He missed out on qualification for last year’s World Championship and dropped as low as 26th in the world at the point of winning the BetVictor English Open earlier in the campaign.
Bingham started this afternoon’s encounter on the front foot and a fine break of 87 saw him move 1-0 ahead.
Robertson replied with 88 in the second, before a run of 69 helped Bingham to regain the lead. The Essex cueman then embarked on a maximum attempt in the third, but missed a double on the final red to end his run on 112 and lead 3-1 at the mid-session.
When play resumed, they traded frames to leave Bingham leading 4-2. He had a chance to move to the verge of victory before missing a straightforward pink to the middle. Robertson punished that error and pulled back within a frame at 4-3.
Robertson then required a snooker in the eighth, but got it on the brown and cleared to steal on the black and draw level at 4-4. He then powered home with a further two on the bounce to secure victory and a quarter-final clash with Mark Selby. Defeat for Bingham ends his chances of progressing to the Sportbet.io Tour Championship in Manchester, where only the top 12 players of the season qualify.
“Stuart started really strongly. I expected that. I knew after the result in the final he would come out all guns blazing and be really motivated. He was looking fantastic at 3-1, but I pinched a couple of frames and turned the game in my favour,” said 43-year-old Robertson.
“I’m really proud. Starting the season my projected season was close to the 40s. To have already cemented my place at the Crucible shows that the hard work has paid off. It goes to show that you have to really stick at it.
“Golf has been huge as it has given me a hobby to do. It is great to spend time outside and it’s much healthier than doing gaming or things like that. I’ve been told to make sure my wife doesn’t become a golf widow though! I have to reign it in as it is quite exciting, because I’m getting quite good at it.”
On the other table, three-time World Champion Selby secured his progression with a 6-3 win over young Chinese star Si Jiahui.
Selby has dominated meetings between the pair so far in head-to-head meetings. He now leads 4-0 after today's victory.
The Leicester cueman is looking for a third title triumph of the campaign, having already racked up silverware at the Unibet British Open and the recent BetVictor Welsh Open.
Selby looked to be in fine touch this afternoon, hammering home breaks of 128, 75, 62, 99 and 78 to sweep to victory and set up a last eight showdown with Robertson.