Robertson pipped in deciding frame

The Bexhill potter, who whitewashed former world champion Graeme Dott 5-0 in round one yesterday, was edged out 5-4 by Scott Donaldson in a topsy-turvy second round match where he trailed 3-1 and led 4-3.

Donaldson knocked in a break of 61 to take the opening frame 74-30 and he also clinched the second 77-60 despite a 43 from Robertson. A 47 helped Robertson win the third 69-25 and he scored the first 37 points of the fourth only for Donaldson to take it 83-37 aided by a 50.

World number 51 Robertson reeled off three in a row after the interval to go in front for the first time. He clinched the fifth 68-31 with a best effort of 34, a 57 gave him the sixth 87-22 and he then bagged the seventh 86-8 with a top run of 35.

The in-form Donaldson, from Scotland, compiled a 67 to capture the eighth 84-0 before coming through a lengthy decider 69-21 thanks largely to a 36. It was the second time in three weeks that Donaldson has pipped Robertson 5-4 having achieved an identical result in the Australian Open Qualifiers.