Snooker news - Neil Robertson holds off Stuart Bingham to win Welsh Open

Bingham trailed 4-1 and 7-3 but pushed Robertson all the way, reeling off four frames on the bounce in the evening session to level the final at seven frames apiece.

However, world number 10 Robertson, rallied to take the next two, sealing the win with an 83, to claim the Welsh Open for a second time after his 2007 victory over Andrew Higginson.

Neither player was at their best throughout a cagey affair but 2010 world champion Robertson's superior break-building - he compiled breaks of 71, 69, 72, 70, 65, 56 and 83 - saw him edge past world number 12 Bingham, who struggled with his cueing throughout, making just two runs in excess of 50.

The Thunder from Down Under went to the interval with a 5-3 advantage after 42-year-old Bingham, out-of-sorts for much of the afternoon session, rallied at 4-1 to take two of the last three frames courtesy of breaks of 50 and 102.

Runs of 65 and 56 allowed Robertson to open a four-frame advantage at the start of the evening session at 7-3, but a dogged Bingham once again fought back, reeling off the next four frames to leave the final finely poised.

In fact, the twelfth frame, a 46-minute marathon, won by Bingham on the black, seemingly swung the momentum back in the Basildon cueist’s favour, particularly when frames 13 and 14 followed.

However, after winning the penultimate frame following a lengthy safety exchange, a liberated Robertson dispatched a long red from Bingham’s break off in frame 16 to set in motion a break of 83 break to claim a 15th ranking title of his career.