Sussex snooker star enjoys fine run in Cazoo World Grand Prix

Jimmy Robertson enjoyed a strong run to the quarter-finals of snooker's Cazoo World Grand Prix last week

The Bexhill-based potter defeated Matthew Selt and Luca Brecel before losing out against six-time world champion and eventual tournament winner Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Televised live by ITV4, the tournament in Coventry featured the top 32 players so far this season and Robertson certainly proved he belongs in such lofty company.

The 35-year-old began by winning 4-2 against world number 26 Selt in round one. Robertson opened up a 3-0 lead with a top break of 51 and although Selt took the next two with runs of 54 and 84, a 54 in frame six helped get the local man over the line.

Robertson then pulled off a splendid 4-3 second-round victory over Belgian world number 16 Luca Brecel, who came into the event off the back of winning the Scottish Open and reaching the UK Championship final.

Former European Masters champion Robertson came from behind to level on three occasions before claiming the decider with a break of 64. He earlier made runs of 82 and 69.

That set up a last-eight showdown against world number three O'Sullivan, who has won the UK Championship and Masters titles seven times each in addition to his six world titles.

Robertson fashioned breaks of 70 and 106 in frames two and four respectively to leave the match all-square at the interval, but he didn't pot a ball thereafter as O'Sullivan produced runs of 80, 112 and 68 to complete a 5-2 success.

O'Sullivan went on to defeat former world champions Stuart Bingham and Neil Robertson in the semi-finals and final respectively to land the 38th ranking title of his glittering career.

Nonetheless, Jimmy Robertson still climbed nine places to 40th in the latest world rankings and four positions to 11th on the one-year list.

The British Open semi-finalist has won 16 of his last 23 matches on the World Snooker Tour and his seven defeats have all come against players in the world's top 22.

Earlier this month Robertson also broke the record for the most points scored in a single frame when he amassed an astonishing 178 in the final frame of his Scottish Open first-round triumph against Lee Walker.