Match Reports from the 888.com World Snooker Championship
Auzzie Seizes The Day !
Neil Robertson 10 - 5 Ryan Day
A respotted black in the final frame of the morning ensured Neil Robertson ended the first session with a healthy advantage over Ryan Day.
The Australian made the most of Day’s lack of touch to take a 4-0 lead with some steady snooker.
But the world number 17 from South Wales has had a decent season, and made the final in Malta in February. He came out after the interval with renewed determination and took the fifth frame with a 47 break.
The 27-year-old still lacked control of the cue ball, but a fluke helped him win the sixth frame. Robertson took the next to restore his three-frame lead, but a century from Day made it 5-3. Robertson stumbled in the final frame by going in-off yet took it on a respotted black.
Robertson stamped his mark on the evening session with a confident break of 63 before Day managed to get two frames on the Melbourne Machine, to make it 7-5. He maintained his ground throughout the 13th until a series of scrappy shots saw Robertson finally steal it with his third attempt to sink the pink.
He took the next and after a half-hearted come-back attempt from Day, clinched his first-round win with a decisive brown in the final frame.
Robertson will have to bring a better game to the table when he plays Ronnie O’Sullivan in the second round. He is the only player to have won two ranking titles this season and has beaten O’Sullivan twice in the same period.
By Gabi Miles
