Australian Billiards & Snooker Council

News

Robertson At The Masters
23 Dec 2003

Cambridge based Australian Neil Robertson booked himself a dream trip to Wembley with a 6-5 win over Dominic Dale in the final of the Masters qualifying tournament at Prestatyn yesterday (Sunday).

This win has capped off a fantastic year for the 21 year old from Melbourne. During the summer he won the World Under 21’s Championships in China and was subsequently granted a concessionary place on snooker’s Main Tour. He immediately consolidated this by winning 5 matches to qualify for the final stages of the European Open, to be held in Malta this coming March.

During this week in Wales however, Robertson has achieved the best result of his career so far, winning 8 matches, including victories over Joe Swail, Stuart Bingham and last years winner Mark Davis, before overcoming former Grand Prix champion Dominic Dale in the deciding frame of the final.

The prize for Robertson is a wild card entry to the Masters in February where the world’s top 16 players fight it out for the Ł100,000 winner’s cheque. Awaiting him will be a televised first round clash with local hero Jimmy White.

Robertson has based himself at Cambridge for the 2003/4 snooker season alongside fellow Aussie professionals Steve Mifsud and Johl Younger, who share a rented house next to the Cambridge Snooker Centre. One of their regular practice partners here is resident professional and world no. 16 Joe Perry, who will also competing at the Masters this February.