Neil Robertson eyes clean sweep of Home Countries titles

Neil Robertson produced a rousing fightback to secure victory in the BetVictor English Open final.

The Cambridge-based potter was up against John Higgins in Milton Keynes, and was trailing 8-6 only to emerge triumphant 9-8 to pick up the £70,000 cheque and the Steve Davis Trophy.

It was a 21st career ranking title for Robertson, placing him seventh in the all-time list.

“He was someone that, as a kid, I absolutely idolised. I always dreamed of just meeting him, but to be sharing a table with him in a final is incredible,” 39-year-old Robertson said of Higgins to World Snooker.

“I said earlier this week that I’d won the Welsh and Scottish Opens. To win the English Open and the Steve Davis Trophy leaves just one more with the Northern Ireland Open. I’ll have to focus on that one next year and win the whole set.

“I watched the decider a few weeks ago at the Northern Ireland Open. On one side I was really pleased for Mark Allen to win in his home city, but also I really felt for John as I love seeing the great champions win. That is just the way it goes, he has made so many opponents absolutely devastated in his career as well.

“There will have been a lot of people in the crowd that will have had it really tough over the last 18 months or so. I was so happy to see so many people cheering and really enjoying themselves. That is the real thing to take away from this. Sport is back.”