2010 world champion Neil Robertson crushed Lu Ning 6-1 in the first round of the Players Championship.
The 39-year-old Australian produced a break-building clinic in a comprehensive victory over Lu to lay down a marker a day after world number one Judd Trump tumbled out of the tournament to Stuart Bingham.
Australia’s greatest player - world champion in 2010 – delivered on his reputation as one of the game’s best attacking talents, knocking in four tons on his way to setting up a quarter-final showdown against Kyren Wilson, who downed Ryan Day 6-1 on Monday night.
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The Melburnian, a three-time finalist at the Players Championship, assumed total control of the contest after a share of the first two frames, knocking in runs of 135, 130, 82, 142, and 132 as Lu was reduced to the role of spectator.
The world number 33 did not register a single point in the last three frames of the match and, such was Robertson's superiority, only managed to register three points over the final five frames of a one-sided encounter.
Elsewhere, Jack Lisowski, seeded fifth, sealed a 6-3 win over Martin Gould, and he will face the winner of the evening encounter between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui.
Players Championship results
  • Jack Lisowski [5] 6 - 3 Martin Gould [12]
  • Neil Robertson [3] 6 - 1 Lu Ning [14]

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