Neil Robertson brushes aside Li Hang challenge to reach quarter-finals of Northern Ireland Open
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Updated 20/10/2022 at 17:06 GMT
Neil Robertson eased into the last eight of the Northern Ireland Open with victory over Li Hang in Belfast on Thursday. The Home Nations series is back with the Northern Ireland Open and it is live and exclusive on discovery+. You can also watch Seventh Heaven, a two-part show about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s historic World Championship win last season, on demand now.
Robertson knocks in century in second frame against Li Hang at Northern Ireland Open
Neil Robertson shrugged off a slow start to ease to a 4-0 victory over Li Hang and reach the quarter-finals of the Northern Ireland Open.
The Northern Ireland Open is the one Home Nations event missing from Robertson's CV, but with Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and John Higgins already out he has a big chance of getting his hands on the Alex Higgins Trophy.
Robertson looked good in Hong Kong a couple of weeks ago, making three centuries in a row in his loss to O’Sullivan, and he showed flashes of quality in beating Li at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
It wasn't vintage, free-flowing Robertson but he showed he can get in the trenches and scrap it out, and that will be pleasing to the Australian and his fans.
Li appeared in charge of the opening frame when putting Robertson in a fiendish snooker.
The Australian took four goes to get out of it, and after a sustained safety battle Li played a terrible shot when attempting to play safe off the green. He stuck it up for Robertson and to make matters worse brought the safe brown into play.
Despite looking out of sorts for portions of a lengthy opening frame, Robertson cleared the colours to move ahead.
After being all at sea for over half an hour of the opening frame, Robertson had his nose in front and clicked into gear to take the second with a superb break of 102.
Li went on the offensive at the start of the third, but a long red wriggled in the jaws of the bottom right and, unfortunately, the white careered into the pack and handed Robertson an easy starter.
Off the back of his century in the previous frame, it was a surprise when Robertson made only 18 points before breaking down.
The third followed the pattern of the first, with both missing chances and it boiling down to a scrap on the colours. Again, chances came and went and after Li missed a tough cut on the pink, Robertson stepped in to knock in pink and black to take the frame and move within one of victory.
Scrapping it out in frames one and three was the side of the game Robertson does not enjoy, but he dug in to earn himself a cushion.
And he showed the brilliant potting and break-building in the fourth to secure the win thanks to a break of 60.
Robertson’s reward for getting the better of Li is a meeting with Mark Selby who beat Michael White 4-2.
Selby was unhappy with his focus in his won over Hammad Miah, but he knocked in a sparkling 132 break in seeing off White.
Shaun Murphy's challenge came to an end at the hands of Zhou Yuelong who made breaks of 55, 68 and 78 to set up a meeting with John Higgins' conqueror Robert Milkins in the last 16 later on Thursday.
David Grace beat O'Sullivan earlier in the competition, but he was toppled by Tian Pengfei who will take on Anthony McGill in the evening session.
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The Home Nations series is back with the Northern Ireland Open and it is live and exclusive on discovery+. You can also watch Seventh Heaven, a two-part show about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s historic World Championship win last season, on demand now.
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