Robertson one game away from World Championship spot

Jimmy Robertson has joined Mark Davis in the final round of the Betfred World Snooker Championship Qualifiers after a hard-fought victory.
Jimmy Robertson is through to the final round of the Betfred World Snooker Championship Qualifiers.Jimmy Robertson is through to the final round of the Betfred World Snooker Championship Qualifiers.
Jimmy Robertson is through to the final round of the Betfred World Snooker Championship Qualifiers.

Bexhill-based Robertson triumphed 10-7 against Sam Baird at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield today (Monday) to set up a meeting with Michael White tomorrow and Wednesday.

Baird made eight fifty-plus breaks in the match, compared with Robertson’s two centuries and two 60-plus efforts, but Robertson’s ability to win the tight frames proved crucial.

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World number 34 Robertson began the match with a break of 100 to clinch the opening frame, but 63rd-ranked Baird hit back to win the next three.

Robertson then reeled off three straight frames of his own to lead 4-3, despite Baird hitting half-century breaks in two of them. A run of 85 gave Baird frame eight, but Robertson made an 81 in the ninth to lead 5-4 after the morning session.

Although Baird claimed the opening frame of the evening session, Robertson crucially bagged all of the next four, aided by runs of 64 and 101, to lead 9-5.

Baird knocked in two sixty-plus breaks to cut his deficit to 9-7, but Robertson sealed victory by winning frame 17 on the black.

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Robertson’s match against 31st-ranked Welsh potter White will get underway from 5pm tomorrow, with the second session at the same time the following evening.

St Leonards-based Davis, ranked 43, will face 22nd-ranked Joe Perry in his final round match. The first session will begin at 11am tomorrow and the second at the same time on Wednesday.

Davis has lost just one frame in his opening two matches at the qualifiers, whitewashing Michael Georgiou 10-0 after a 10-1 thrashing of Sanderson Lam.

The winners of the final qualifying round matches will join the world’s top 16 in the event proper, which will get underway at The Crucible in Sheffield this coming Saturday.

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