THE FINAL
Neil ROBERTSON (9) beat Graeme DOTT 18-13
Session 1: 10-87 (80), 65-55, 1-93, 35-62, 68-56 (R62, D52), 62-56, 24-73 (57), 47-74
Session 2: 66-5 (61), 90-6 (90), 79-72 (D72) (rsb), 79-53 (79), 52-11, 4-71 (56), 27-70 (53), 113-23 (75)
Session 3: 23-87 (79), 69-56, 82-1 (82), 31-66, 89-12 (51), 2-116 (112)
Session 4: 12-81, 116-13 (55, 51), 36-83 (57), 69-15 (55), 63-49, 58-73, 74-23, 58-10, 94-1 (53)
Session Four: Robertson 6-3 Dott
Robertson becomes the first non-UK/Ireland winner at the Crucible since Canada's Cliff Thorburn in 1980 after dominating the latter part of a marathon final session.
Dott made it hard work for the Aussie by taking two of the opening three frames to close the lead to one. But Robertson won five of the last six frames against his tiring opponent.
Unfortunately, on a difficult weekend for snooker in light of the allegations against world number one John Higgins, the standard of play in the final was not great, even accounting for the obvious tension. Only one century was made - by Dott in the 22nd frame - and there were only seven breaks over 70 in 31 frames. Even the quality of the safety play dropped as the length of the match visibly wore down the players.
But not all of this was the players' fault and, as several people including Steve Davis mentioned, earlier session times would certainly have helped them.
In the end, Robertson was a deserved winner and the fact that he is an overseas winner, as well as being a likeable chap, is perhaps the best thing to take from a final that will not be remembered as a classic.
Frame 31:
Some wonderful snooker from Robertson in this frame wins the championship for the Australian. He really relaxed once he got over the finish line and, although his high break in the frame was 53, he never looked in any danger of losing that frame against a shattered Dott.
Frame 30:
Robertson is now within a single frame of victory and he looks visibly fresher. In this frame, Robertson got the first chance and made a 36 break before failing to open the pack. Instead, he was forced to play safe but the Aussie did well, putting Dott tight behind the brown, forcing a hit-and-hope from the Scot which almost came off. It didn't, though, and Robertson looked set to seal the frame. A miss on the blue let in Dott again but he could not take advantage and Robertson eventually scored enough in shards to go one frame away.
Frame 29:
Robertson goes three frames clear again and within two of victory after a 48-minutes long frame, the longest of the match. Dott had gained eight early foul points by laying a fine snooker behind the yellow but it was Robertson who took control of the frame with a 35 break. This was followed by yet another stalemate with both men playing some desperately tired safety shots. Short fragments of scoring from both players continued to be mixed with longer bouts of safety until Dott left a red over the right corner pocket, allowing Robertson to get that bit closer to the line.
Frame 28:
Dott gets back to within two frames with a pot on the pink after Robertson had lost a good chance to go four frames clear with a miss on a black. Robertson had opened the reds but he could only make nine before putting Dott behind the green. The Scot conceded 13 points in four missed attempts but he did well to persist as Robertson then missed a red, leaving Dott in the balls. Dott made a 42 break but missed a long red before Robertson's failure to capitalise.
Frame 27:
The tension was evidently unbearable for these players in a pivotal frame lasting 45 minutes. With the score 40-37 in Dott's favour, the players went more than 20 shots without making a pot. Robertson ended the stalemate to the relief of the Crucible audience but then missed the frame-ball brown. Dott potted brown and blue but a double-kiss on the pink gave Robertson the frame with a fine pot which he celebrated with a fist-pump and a shout of "Come on". Earlier, Dott had started the frame with a 19 break but only just rattled in a red and the following blue via the jaws. It was third time unlucky for Dott as a red missed, leaving Robertson in the balls. Several modest breaks from both players followed before the dramatic finish on the colours.
Frame 26:
Robertson again made hard work of winning a frame but he now only needs four more to be champion. He broke down on a 55 break after making contact with the wrong red trying to get on the black but then did enough to leave Dott needing a snooker. The Scot played an excellent shot to leave Robertson tight behind the black but the Robertson succeeded in escaping
Frame 25:
Dott continues to hang onto Robertson's coat-tails, 13-12 down, after a 57 break. Robertson benefited from a fluke early on but he was unable to open the pack and he broke down on 15. Another bout of safety was ended when Dott potted a long red, enabling him to make his break and leave Robertson needing snookers. Robertson failed in his task when Dott potted green and brown after Robertson had inadvertently sunk the yellow.
Frame 24:
Breaks of 55 and 51 were the key to Robertson restoring the two-frame gap. The Australian had won the early safety battle but could only score 10. When Dott did little better with a 13 break, Robertson made his first major contribution leaving the Scot needing snookers. Robertson made his second break after being handed an easy starter.
Frame 23:
Dott showed great determination to win a scrappy opening frame of the final session to close back to within one frame. Unlike the last frame, there were no major contributions but Dott was always in control after a 36 break in the middle of it.
Session Three: Robertson 3-3 Dott
Dott keeps his title challenge alive with the first century of the final in the 22nd frame, a frame largely out of keeping with the rest of the session. Robertson will not be too displeased at having split this session 3-3 as he retains a two-frame lead but, with the players only having fitted in six frames in session three, it could be a long night ahead.
Frame 22:
Finally, a century in the Crucible final. It came courtesy of gritty Dott who keeps his chances of a second championship alive with a magificent 112 break. At one stage, the Scot looked set to break down but potted a brilliant red to the middle and a pink off the cushion on his way to an eighth ton in the championship.
Frame 21:
Breaks of 37 and 51 were enough to restore Robertson's three-frame lead. Robertson was set to win with one visit but went in-off when cutting in a thin red. Soon enough, Robertson was back in the balls and you get the feeling that Dott can ill-afford to fall four frames behind before this evening's session.
Frame 20:
Dott ensures the first four frames are shared but this was another struggle. The Scot looked set to win the frame in one go but broke down on a 52 break when failing with an attempted double after running out of position. He then gained the upper hand in the safety battle after Robertson took a ridiculous four-and-a-half minutes on deciding whether to play a shot or put Dott back in after a foul on the green. Another few reds from Dott left Robertson needing two snookers but the Aussie took the last red off the table and Dott escaped repeatedly on the yellow.
Frame 19:
There has still not been a century in the final but Robertson's 82 was as convincing a break as we've seen and it has now given him a three-frame lead. Dott had the first chance after finding a plant but he missed a blue straight after it, putting Robertson in the balls to score heavily.
Frame 18:
Robertson made much harder work of opening the lead back up to two frames than he should. The Aussie got the first chance and made a 49 break before breaking down on a pink for a second successive frame. Dott responded with a break of 47 before failing to take the last red off the cushion. A protacted safety battle on the last red and colours ended when Robertson potted brown, blue and pink.
Frame 17:
Dott took the first frame of the day with a 79 break after a bad miss by Robertson. The Australian's long-potting prowess gave him the first opportunity but he could only contribute 20 points before missing an easy pink, allowing Dott to clear up.
Session Two: Robertson 6-2 Dott
Oddly enough, both men will be pleased enough with the outcome of that session, though Robertson especially. Having lost the first session 5-3, a brilliant start to this evening means he takes a two-frame advantage into the final day. Dott looked worryingly fragile as he lost all of the first five frames in this session but two typically gritty breaks of 53 and 56 have kept him in this match. Meanwhile, Robertson's decent 70 break in the final frame made the score an accurate reflection of the contest. Notably, there has yet to be a century made in this final despite both players having hit seven tons in the earlier rounds. And so, while the play has not been outstanding, it has at least been intriguing.
Frame 16:
A composed effort from Robertson this time, clearing the table to win his first frame out of three and giving himself a two-frame lead going into tomorrow's finale. Dott actually got the first real chance after Robertson missed a long red but a good-looking break ended when he failed with a plant to the middle pocket. Dott got another chance when Robertson missed another red to the middle but, trying to play a thin red, he fouled on the blue, leaving the Aussie with a third chance which he could not refuse.
Frame 15:
Dott took a second successive frame after a 53 break following a bad miss on a simple black from Robertson. Dott's break ended when a miss to the middle gave Robertson a chance of making another comeback. But, for once, the Australian could not take advantage, breaking down after a poor positional shot and allowing Dott to make the 17 points required to wrap up the frame.
Frame 14:
A gritty, determined effort from Dott whose 56 break finally stopped the rot after Robertson had missed a red to the middle. A massive frame win for the Scot.
Frame 13:
Unfortunately for Dott, the interval has not changed the pattern of this match at all. He had his chances again in this frame, notably missing a black off the spot. But after that error, Robertson always looked like winning a fifth successive frame to lead by three.
Frame 12:
Robertson made a 79 clearance to make it four frames on the spin tonight despite Dott again getting the first chance. Needless to say, the Scot will be pleased to break for the mid-session interval.
Frame 11:
Dott has looked really ragged tonight and this was an absolute steal for Robertson who won on a respotted black, having earlier needed a snooker. A break of 72 from a terrific long red seemed to have put Dott in control of the frame but a misguided double on the last red allowed Robertson to put the Scot in trouble. Dott went in-off to give Robertson the required points and the Australian cleared the table to set up the respotted black. On the black, Robertson left Dott with another tempting double but Dott missed again, enabling the Australian to win a potentially pivotal frame.
Frame 10:
Make that a great start to the session for Robertson. The Aussie has really looked the part and restored parity with a 90 break after Dott missed a black off the spot early on.
Frame 9:
A good start to the session for Robertson who closes the gap to just one frame straightaway. He won this frame with a break of 61, having found the path to the black off an early red which Dott had tried and failed to do himself.
Session One: Robertson 3-5 Dott
It is not a Crucible classic so far with Dott's break of 80 in the first frame as the highest break of the match, and only four breaks above 50 overall. As expected, this final is very tight though Robertson has done well just to lose the session 5-3 after providing Dott with numerous chances even in the frames which he has won.
Frame 8:
Dott will take a two-frame lead into the evening session after a reprieve from Robertson. Dott got in first with a good scoring chance but he could only make 38 before missing a tough red to the left corner. Robertson was next to benefit from a good spread of balls to make 46 and a poor safety from Dott presented the Aussie with a fine chance to extend his advantage. But a miss on an awkward brown allowed Dott to make a 36 for the frame.
Frame 7:
Dott will be relieved after nearly throwing away a third successive frame. After working hard for a 57 break, Dott potted a black along the cushion to leave Robertson needing a snooker. But, off the last red, Robertson achieved just that, putting Dott tight behind the pink. Dott got out of the snooker brilliantly off three cushions and won the frame with his next visit.
Frame 6:
A real scrappy frame, eventually won on the black by Robertson. The Aussie has not played well today so far but he has really scrapped for his three frame wins. Eventually, poor safety play proved Dott's downfall in this frame. First, he gave Robertson the tactical advantage off the last red and then he left the yellow over the left corner, allowing Robertson to clear up.
Frame 5:
Robertson got in first but could only make six points before Dott played a wonderful long pot and cannon on the black to put himself in the balls again. Dott scored 52 but left himself in a bad position on a black. He missed and Robertson made a composed 62, his highest break of the match so far, to trail just 3-2.
Frame 4:
Another scrappy frame with no significant contributions, finally won by Dott on the colours. The Scot has had the rub of the green so far but Robertson has had some uncharacteristic misses and the luck should even itself out over a maximum 35 frames.
Frame 3:
Dott made a 45 break before breaking down, missing a pot to the middle. Robertson looked to have Dott in trouble behind the brown but, having forced a mistake, the Aussie then missed a thin-cut on a red to the bottom left. Dott made a 48 to take a 2-1 lead.
Frames 1 and 2:
I missed the opening two frames due to the football but they were shared, Dott making an 80 break to win the first before Robertson won the second on the colours.
Route to the Final:
NEIL ROBERTSON
R1 bt Fergal O'Brien 10-5
R2 bt Martin Gould 13-12
QF bt Steve Davis 13-5
SF bt Allister Carter (5) 17-12
GRAEME DOTT
R1 bt Peter Ebdon (14) 10-5
R2 bt Stephen Maguire (3) 13-6
QF bt Mark Allen (11) 13-12
SF bt Mark Selby (7) 17-14
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