Snooker
Neil Robertson Wins the 2024 English Open Beating Wu Yize in the Final
Neil Robertson ends a two-year title drought by defeating Wu Yize 9-7 at the 2024 English Open, reclaiming a top 16 spot and ousting John Higgins from the elite rankings.
Neil Robertson, the “Thunder from Down Under,” has finally broken his two-year ranking title drought, defeating China’s rising star Wu Yize 9-7 in the 2024 English Open final at the Brentwood Centre.
His last ranking title came back in 2022 at the Tour Championship in Llandudno, where he beat the legendary Scot John Higgins.
Road to Glory
Wu Yize, competing in his first-ever ranking final, couldn’t maintain his momentum after a crushing 6-0 semi-final win over India’s number one Ishpreet Singh Chadha.
Robertson, meanwhile, breezed past Chris Wakelin 6-1 in his semi-final and lost just five frames enroute to the title.
Afternoon Domination
The 23-time ranking event winner was in ruthless form. He stormed through the afternoon session, building a commanding 5-1 lead with breaks of 75, 71, 77, and 61.
Then, he piled on the pressure with back-to-back centuries of 104 and 138, stretching his advantage to 7-1.
The pressure of the occasion had seemingly impacted the 20-year-old cueman.
Image credit: World Snooker Tour (WST)
Wu's Near-Historic Comeback Falls Short
The afternoon session saw a dramatic shift in momentum as Wu Yize mounted an incredible fightback.
Showing grit and skill, Wu won three of the first four frames, firing in century breaks of 127 and 100, followed by a solid 82 to close the gap to 8-4.
After the mini-break, Wu kept up the pressure with impressive breaks of 73 and 95, pulling within two frames of Robertson.
What seemed like an impossible comeback just hours earlier was quickly becoming a reality, as Wu edged closer with every frame.
Another break of 50 left him just one frame away from levelling the match and on the verge of completing one of snooker’s greatest comebacks.
However, in the 16th frame, after 15 tense minutes of safety play, Wu made his first error. The balls opened up near the baulk line, and Robertson seized his chance. With a final break, he closed out the match 9-7, denying Wu’s miraculous comeback.
An unforgettable final that will be talked about for decades, and a breakthrough moment for Wu Yize, cementing his place as one of snooker's brightest young talents.
Back in the Top 16
Ranked 26th after a lacklustre 2023/24 season, Robertson’s win propels him back into snooker’s top 16, earning him £100,000 in prize money.
In doing so, he displaces four-time world champion John Higgins from the elite rankings, ending Higgins’ 29-year run inside the top 16.
Robertson heads to Cheltenham tomorrow for the British Open, looking to cement his spot among snooker’s best.
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