Ryan Day beats Kyren Wilson to set up Champion of Champions final against Fan Zhengyi after Neil Robertson stunned
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Updated 01/11/2022 at 18:50 GMT
Neil Robertson was taken the distance by Fan Zhengyi, and it was the Chinese 21-year-old who produced a stunning break in the final frame to win 4-3 and reach the group final on Tuesday night against Ryan Day. Fan reached this tournament after beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the European Masters, and this victory goes down as another famous win for the up-and-coming star.
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Ryan Day defeated Kyren Wilson 4-3 at the Champion of Champions, setting up a group final with Fan Zhengyi for later on Tuesday night after the Chinese youngster upset Neil Robertson.
Day can point to his recent success at the British Open this season as a sign that, at 42, he is still capable of producing his best snooker into his fifth decade.
Wilson, 12 years his junior, has been ranked as high as No. 4 in the world standings and holds the current European Masters title.
The opening frame went to the veteran Day with a break of 62 to go 1-0 up in the best-of-seven clash.
Wilson struck back with his own maiden half century break in the following frame to level the scores as the pair felt their way into the match-up in Bolton.
The Englishman had looked poised to go ahead only to miss a red and let Day in with the chance to produce a frame-winning response of his own, with 82 giving Day an 87-42 win in the third.
Day won his third by a similar margin to take him a frame from victory and to what would have been the second shock of the day after Neil Robertson was squeezed out by Fan Zhengyi in Tuesday’s first match.
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Wilson stayed in the game when a break of 58 brought back the deficit to one frame, at 3-2.
WIlson then looked likely to clear up to win a third frame of his own but played awkwardly onto the blue and failed to land a double, leading to a passage of safety play that ended saw Day strike the blue himself and Wilson clean up.
Day then triumphed in the decider when he struck early to build an unassailable 86-0 lead.
Earlier in the day, Fan held his nerve in the deciding frame to record an impressive 4-3 victory over Robertson.
Having qualified for the tournament when beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the European Masters, world No. 37 Fan was targeting another shock this time in Bolton.
The Chinese 21-year-old did just that and will go on to face Day.
Fan got off to the ideal start, leading 64-11 before then needing a couple of attempts to get over the line and win the opening frame 71-27.
World No. 2 Robertson responded in typical fashion, however, sending down a 122 break to level the match.
That century did not swing the momentum entirely in Robertson’s favour as Fan capitalised on an error-strewn frame from the Australian to move back in front.
Robertson then led 34-1 in the fourth frame knowing the importance of making it 2-2 as opposed to trailing 3-1, and though Fan then had a chance at the table to open a two-frame advantage, it was a fluke on a red which ultimately helped Robertson level the match.
At 22-0 up in the fifth, Robertson studied and studied a difficult plant into the bottom left corner, but after gambling it rattled the jaws and allowed Fan a decent chance for a sizeable break.
Another fluke, after Fan missed a red only to watch it hit another that doubled into the middle pocket, then kept Fan’s break alive – only for him to miss the subsequent blue.
Robertson did enough to win the frame and lead for the first time, but Fan would not lie down and forced the decider with a brilliant 94 – missing the century after failing to pot the brown.
The seventh and final frame started with a nervy safety exchange, and it was Fan who the first to pot.
With the reds open, Fan had a strong opportunity to seal the match, and he stayed cool to record a break of 98 and knock Robertson out.
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