Biggest win Lisowski holds nerve to sink title favourite Robertson
JACK Lisowski scored the best win of his snooker career as he reached the quarter-finals of the Betfred World Championship for the first time with an enthralling 13-12 victory over pre-tournament favourite Neil Robertson.
Australia’s Robertson earned a piece of Crucible history when he became the eighth player to make a 147 at the venue, but the night ended in disappointment for this season’s best player.
Churchdown’s Lisowski rallied from 12-11 down to win the last two frames of the first match in this year’s Championship to go to a decider.
Both players missed chances in the last frame before world number 14 Lisowski took his opportunity.
Leading 9-7 overnight, Lisowski made a strong start as a break of 49 gave him the first frame to extend his lead.
The next came down to a tactical battle on the last red, and a weak safety from Lisowski handed his opponent the chance to clear for 10-8.
Robertson’s magnificent 147 came in frame 19, and he followed up with a 79 to square the match at 10-10.
Lisowski led 15-14 in frame 21 when his attempted red to centre his the far jaw, and again Robertson punished him with a run of 60 to go in front for the first time since he led 2-1.
Having lost four consecutive frames, Lisowski hit back with a break of 88 for 11-11 and in frame 23, Robertson led 32-21 when he made a safety error, handing Lisowski a chance to clear.
He got as far as the final green, but rattled it in the jaws and Robertson took advantage to edge 12-11 ahead.
World number three Robertson might have clinched the win in the 24th, but ran out of position on 55 and had to play safe. Lisowski cleared superbly with 72 for 12-12.
The key moment in the decider came when Lisowski, leading 36-18 with three reds on the table, trapped his opponent in a tough snooker behind the brown.
Robertson escaped but left a red over a top corner, and Lisowski added a match-winning 25.
“It’s my biggest win because Neil is the best player in the world at the moment,” said Lisowski, who has reached six ranking finals but is yet to win a title.
“He threw at lot at me over the match. It’s a massive win for me, I feel great. I was pretty gone when he made his beautiful 147 and got back to 10-10. Everything was spinning.
“I felt good on the break to go 12-12. In the last frame we both made mistakes. When the last red went in I got a brilliant reaction from the crowd.
“It was so loud it shook me, I nearly jumped. It was a great night for the fans, a big advert for snooker and it was amazing to be part of it.
“Everyone likes the underdog, and I was definitely that. I’m probably the underdog in the tournament now.”
In the opening session, a break of 62 gave the Melbourne cueman the opener. Lisowski had then had a great chance to level up, before a loose positional shot ended his run on 55. Robertson stepped in and crafted a contribution of 76 to lead 2-0.
Lisowski pulled a frame back thanks to a break of 65, before winning the fourth on the pink to restore parity at 2-2.
He added two more to establish a 4-2 advantage but Robertson took the final two frames with back-to-back century breaks of 117 and 138 to end level 4-4.
In the second session, Lisowski came flying out of the traps, with back-toback centuries, 119 and 122, to open up a two-frame lead at 6-4.
Robertson replied with a break of 60 to take the 11th, but Lisowski established a 7-5 cushion.
They shared the remaining four frames, with each one containing a contribution over 50.
There was a stunning break of 137 from Lisowski in the 14th, but Robertson made 69 in the final frame to end at 9-7, setting up that dazzling final session.