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Neil Robertson beat Jamie Cope 9-5 in the final of the Royal London Watches Grand Prix to land his first ranking title.
Robertson, the first Australian to reach a ranking final since Warren King in 1990 and the first to win a major prize, pocketed the £60,000 winners' cheque with a confident performance at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.
It was a good week too for Cope, who along with the £30,000 runners-up prize collected a cheque for £24,000 for a televised maximum break in the round-robin stage.
Robertson led 5-2 at the end of the afternoon session and went into the evening needed four more frames for victory.
The match began well for 21-year-old Cope, who won a tense first frame to lead 1-0.
However, Robertson stormed back with four consecutive frames, levelling the match with a century break and forging ahead with runs of 78, 59 and 52.
Cope fought back with a break of 55 in the sixth frame before Robertson pinched the last frame before the interval to restore his three-frame advantage.
The Melbourne potter's lead was stretched to four frames after Cope missed a couple of decent chances and he edged to within two frames of victory by winning a scrappy ninth frame.
A 63 break took him to within one frame of victory and although Cope prolonged the match with a superb 105 it only delayed the inevitable.
"I'm just so happy to have won the match," said a delighted Robertson, who also won an 18-carat gold watch from the title sponsor.
"Leading 8-2 I thought it was in the bag. I was feeling really, really good and all I wanted was one chance, but the balls just went a little bit funny and he (Jamie) started to find his rhythm.
"But he started to miss a few balls, I did and it became a little bit contagious.
"If he had won the frame to make it 8-6 then anything could have happened, but I'm so relieved to have won it.
"It really hasn't sunk in yet, but maybe after a few drinks it will sink it. It was a great moment for me."
Robertson added: "I had a few nerves, but when you beat someone like Ronnie (O'Sullivan), it gives you the confidence to go on.
"But I was twitching all over the place. Luckily the crowd were far back because I would have hit them with my elbow otherwise.
"It's the best week of my life, it's just been incredible." |
Source: Sky Sports |
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