Bexhill ace through to European Masters final

Jimmy Robertson is through to the final of a World Snooker tournament for the first time.
Jimmy Robertson is through to the European Masters final in LommelJimmy Robertson is through to the European Masters final in Lommel
Jimmy Robertson is through to the European Masters final in Lommel

The Bexhill-based world number 36 reached the European Masters final courtesy of a tremendous 6-4 semi-final victory over Mark King tonight (Saturday).

Robertson will face 25th-ranked Joe Perry in a best-of-17-frames affair tomorrow for the title. The first session will start at 12noon and the second session at 6pm.

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See also: * Bexhill star reaches European Masters semi-finals* Robertson beaten by Williams at World ChampionshipAlthough playing in his maiden full ranking event semi-final, Robertson showed no signs of nerves as he rattled through the first frame with a break of 99 and comfortably took the second.

He didn’t score a point in the next two frames, though, as King levelled the scores with runs of 85 and 64, before going on to claim frame five for a 3-2 lead.

Robertson responded with three successive frames of his own to lead 5-3. After edging a tight sixth frame, he powered through the next two with breaks of 82 and a magnificent 132.

The big breaks continued as King knocked in a 97 to make it 5-4, but Robertson sealed his win by clinching the next frame 75-27.

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It was the 32-year-old’s fifth win of the tournament, which is being played in the Belgian city of Lommel. Amazingly, his first three victories came on the final ball of the final frame, the last of them completing a stunning comeback from 3-0 down to defeat Anthony McGill 4-3.

He then claimed the scalp of Masters champion Mark Allen - the world number 11 - in the last 16, winning 4-2 with the help of a 135 break.

Robertson almost didn’t make it to Belgium at all because he was 3-1 down to Andy Lee at the qualifiers in mid-August before winning three consecutive frames to book his place.