Robertson beats John Higgins for second time this year

The world number 31 from Bexhill pulled off a 4-2 victory over sixth-ranked Higgins in round three of the World Snooker Tour ranking event last Friday.

It followed Robertson’s 6-4 success against the Scot in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship six weeks previously.

This time Robertson, who made breaks of 114, 81 and 77, won the last three frames to overturn a 2-1 deficit and set up a meeting with Ding Junhui the following morning.

That match ended in a 4-0 defeat, however, as Chinese superstar Ding produced a break-building masterclass, knocking in runs of 133, 123, 119 and 59.

Robertson reflects on fine campaign.

Former European Masters champion Robertson had previously seen off Chinese opponents in the first two rounds, making two centuries in each match.

He firstly beat 68th-ranked Tian Pengfei 4-1 with breaks of 117 and 101 before coming from 3-2 down to edge out world number 70 Cao Yupeng 4-3 with runs of 132, 114 and 50.

The three wins in Gibraltar continued a very good season for Robertson, who reached the semi-finals of the Players Championship and British Open, plus the World Grand Prix quarter-finals.

St Leonards-based world number 54 Mark Davis was also in action in Gibraltar, but lost 4-1 to 14th-ranked Jack Lisowski in the opening round.

Davis and Robertson will now be fully focused on the all-important World Championship Qualifiers, which will take place in Sheffield from April 4-13.