Neil Robertson hits back to reach last 16 as Kyren Wilson loses despite first 147 break

ByEurosport

Updated 31/10/2017 at 17:21 GMT

Neil Robertson hit back from the brink of defeat to beat Matthew Selt 6-5 in a final-frame shootout on his way to the last 16 of the International Championship.

Neil Robertson

Image credit: Imago

The Melbourne man had been 3-0, 4-1 and then 5-2 down but three century breaks of 101, 129 and 117 plus a 60 in the sixth frame saw him force the decider before clinching the last frame with the final black as world number 41 Selt blew several chances to complete a shock win over the 2010 world champion.

Kyren Wilson made the first 147 break of his professional career, but was knocked out of the International Championship in China on Tuesday.

International Championship

Selby defends International Championship title with win over Allen

00:02:35

05/11/2017 at 21:32

“Matt is one of my best friends so it was a tough match to play,” said Robertson, who is seventh in the rankings.

“I managed to get going from 5-2 down and in the end it was a dramatic finish. I have been pretty unlucky this season so far so hopefully this is the sign of things turning round.

The recent English Open runner-up made his maximum in the 10th frame to level up at 5-5 against Martin Gould and force a decider.

But Pinner cueman Gould kept his composure and a run of 70 carried him through to the third round of the ranking tournament in Daqing as a 6-5 winner over 25-year-old Wilson, who lost 9-2 to Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final of the English Open in Barnsley.

Wilson's 147 was the 133rd recorded in tournament action, World Snooker said. It will earn him a £5,000 bonus plus £3,000 top-break prize unless it is matched this week, in which case the prize pot will be shared.

World champion and defending champion Mark Selby showed off his matchplay skills in a 6-4 win over Tom Ford.

Selby pieced together breaks of 72 and 65 in frames five and eight and led 4-1 only for Ford to run in breaks of 60, 66 and 60 to restore parity at 4-4.

But the world number one Selby maintained his composure to largely dominate the final two frames of the contest to progress.

Judd Trump enjoyed breaks of 135 and 127 in seeing off Jimmy Robertson 6-3 in another all-English clash, while Scotland's four-time world champion John Higgins was a 6-2 winner against Welshman Dominic Dale.

Ali Carter, Shaun Murphy and Robbie Williams also safely reached the last-16 stage.