Judd Trump pushed all the way by Sussex ace Robertson

Jimmy RobertsonJimmy Robertson
Jimmy Robertson
Jimmy Robertson pushed snooker’s new world number one Judd Trump all the way as he continued his strong start to the 2021/22 season.

The Bexhill potter was edged out 4-3 by the champion of the previous three years in the last 16 of the Northern Ireland Open last Thursday night.

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It was only Robertson’s second defeat in 12 World Snooker Tour matches, having reached the semi-finals of the British Open during August.

Robertson scored just eight points in the opening two frames against Trump, but hit back to win the next two with a top break of 61.

Trump - a winner of 22 ranking titles - moved ahead again by clinching frame five only for Robertson to level at 3-3 with the aid of a 59.

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Top seed Trump opened up a 49-0 lead in the decider and after Robertson missed a straightforward yellow, went on to claim it 71-1.

Robertson previously won three matches in Belfast to set up the meeting with the sport’s top ranked player.

The 35-year-old served up a devastating display to whitewash James Cahill 4-0 in round two, firing in breaks of 123, 106 and 71.

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Robertson recovered from 3-2 down to pip Thai player Sunny Akani 4-3 in round one, producing a run of 82 in the decider after earlier efforts of 102 and 58.

And he pulled off a very good 4-2 victory against 17th-ranked Chinese cueman Zhou Yuelong in the qualifying round with top runs of 70, 59 and 50.

The former European Masters champion is up to 42nd in the latest world rankings and lies seventh on the one-year list.

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