English Open 2022: Neil Robertson – Fellow world champion John Higgins is toughest player in snooker history

ByEurosport

Updated 09/12/2022 at 17:06 GMT

Neil Robertson recovered from 8-6 behind to complete a memorable 9-8 win over John Higgins in last year's English Open final, but the Australian player admits he had to battle all the way to overcome his fellow world champion. When asked who was the most difficult player he has ever faced, Robertson commented: "John is the toughest." Stream top snooker action live on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk

Watch the moment Robertson clinches English Open title in dramatic final

Ronnie O'Sullivan is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, but Neil Robertson is in no doubt who should go down in history as the toughest to beat.

Robertson won the final three frames to complete a memorable 9-8 victory against John Higgins in the English Open final last year in Milton Keynes, but is full of praise for the Scottish sporting icon ahead of his impending title defence in Brentwood.

“John is the toughest. If you ever wanted to back someone to knock in a ball and clear up from 60 behind it would be him for sure. It doesn’t matter how far ahead you go in a match. He can still come back," said top seed Robertson, who faces Welshman Andrew Pagett in his tournament opener on Monday live on Eurosport.

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Robertson also completed a rousing recovery from 9-4 behind in a 10-9 win against the four-time world champion in the Tour Championship final in April to move 10-8 clear on the career head-to-heads since the duo first met in the last 16 of the 2005 Welsh Open, a match the Melbourne player edged 5-4.

There are seeded to meet in the semi-finals of the English Open this year with Higgins beginning his campaign against Gerard Greene.

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While O'Sullivan brings an inimitable free-flowing brand of attacking colour to the table, Higgins can win matches in various styles.

"Top players talk about gears and John can really go through the gears," Robertson told tournament sponsors BetVictor. "It can ramp up to the point where he is flying along and he puts you down a few pegs.

"You can’t get out of it. His safety is unbelievable. If he is long potting well, he is almost impossible to beat. He is certainly the hardest player I’ve faced to put away.

"There are so many times I thought I’d had him and he goes through the gears and takes the match away from you."

Robertson is relishing his title defence in Essex.

"I am excited to see Brentwood. I’ve never played a ranking event there," said the 23-time ranking event winner.

"I can’t remember playing in anything with an Essex crowd. They love their snooker. Where (six-time world champion) Steve Davis used to play in Romford isn’t far away from Brentwood either.

"I’m really looking forward to seeing how it goes.”

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2022 tournament winners

Masters – Alexandra Palace, London (9-16 Jan) – Neil Robertson (Aus) 10-4 Barry Hawkins (Eng)
Shoot Out – Morningside Arena, Leicester (20-23 Jan) – Hossein Vafaei (Irn) 1-0 Mark Williams (Wal)
German Masters – Tempodrom, Berlin (26-30 Jan) – Zhao Xintong (Chn) 9-0 Yan Bingtao (Chn)
Championship League – Morningside Arena, Leicester (20 Dec-4 Feb) – John Higgins (Sco) 3-2 Stuart Bingham (Eng)
Players Championship – Aldersley Leisure Village, Wolverhampton (7-13 Feb) – Neil Robertson (Aus) 10-5 Barry Hawkins (Eng)
European Masters – Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes (21-27 Feb) – Fan Zhengyi (Chn) 10-9 Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng)
Welsh Open – Celtic Manor Resort, Newport (28 Feb-6 Mar) – Joe Perry (Eng) 9-5 Judd Trump (Eng)
Turkish Masters – Nirvana Cosmopolitan Hotel, Antalya (7 Mar-13 Mar) – Judd Trump (Eng) 10-4 Matthew Selt (Eng)
Gibraltar Open – Europa Point Sports Complex, Gibraltar (24-26 Mar) – Robert Milkins (Eng) 4-2 Kyren Wilson (Eng)
Tour Championship – Venue Cymru, Llandudno (28 Mar-3 Apr) – Neil Robertson (Aus) 10-9 John Higgins (Sco)
World Championship – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield (16 Apr-2 May) – Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) 18-13 Judd Trump (Eng)
Championship League – Morningside Arena, Leicester (28 Jun-29 Jul) – Luca Brecel (Bel) 3-1 Lu Ning (Chn)
European Masters – Stadthalle Fürth, Fürth (16-21 Aug) – Kyren Wilson (Eng) 9-3 Barry Hawkins (Eng)
World Mixed Doubles – Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes (24-25 Sep) –
Neil Robertson (Aus) & Mink Nutcharut (Tha) 4-2 Mark Selby (Eng) & Rebecca Kenna (Eng)
British Open – Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes (26 Sep-2 Oct) – Ryan Day (Wal) 10-7 Mark Allen (NI)
Hong Kong Masters – Hong Kong Coliseum, Hong Kong (6-9 Oct) – Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) 6-4 Marco Fu (HK)
Northern Ireland Open – Waterfront Hall, Belfast (16-23 Oct) – Mark Allen (NI) 9-4 Zhou Yuelong (Chn)
Champion of Champions – University of Bolton Stadium, Bolton (31 Oct-6 Nov) – Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) 10-6 Judd Trump (Eng)
UK Championship – Barbican, York (12 Nov-20 Nov) – Mark Allen (NI) 10-7 Ding Junhui (Chn)
Scottish Open – Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh (28 Nov-4 Dec) – Gary Wilson (Eng) 9-2 Joe O'Connor (Eng)
English Open – Brentwood Centre, Brentwood, Essex (12-18 Dec) –

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Stream English Open 2022 and top snooker action live on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk

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