'He's turned into a winning machine' - Neil Robertson 'rightly' World Championship favourite says Jimmy White
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Updated 19/04/2022 at 19:19 GMT
There is no doubt that Neil Robertson is the rightful favourite to win the World Championship, according to Eurosport expert and snooker legend Jimmy White. The Australian star was at his very best at times during his opening-round victory over Ashley Hugill at the Crucible. Hugill is a local favourite, but it was Robertson who showed his class when it really mattered to advance in Sheffield.
'He's turned into a winning machine' - Robertson 'rightly favourite' says White
Neil Robertson has "turned into a winning machine" and is now rightly the favourite to triumph at the World Championship, according to Eurosport's Jimmy White.
The Thunder from Down Under overcame Hugill 10-5 in their opener in Sheffield, living up to his tag as the tournament favourite in the process of reaching the second round.
Robertson roared back from 3-1 down in emphatic fashion as he reeled off the next eight frames to secure his place in the next round much more comfortably than it looked likely to be early on.
He registered a string of stunning breaks in that eight-frame run, including 107, 119 and 132 in the seventh, eighth and ninth frames respectively. The Australian had assumed a 6-3 overnight lead from Monday heading into Tuesday’s session.
Robertson showed his class by concluding the match with a knock of 110 to secure his 58th ton of the season – more than anyone else - and White believes he has taken his game to a new level this year.
"On form, rightly so he is the favourite," White said in the Eurosport studio in Sheffield after the match.
"He has turned himself into a winning machine. I like the way he has said that he has to adapt if things are not going right for him, whereas in previous times he has not adapted. He has let the table get to him.
"It is a very small space for him and he likes to walk into the shot. He is the favourite for the tournament, but he has been the favourite in my mind for the last three years coming into the tournament on form.
"He has not produced, but he looks like a different animal this year."
Alan 'Angles' McManus added: "I've been looking at the draw and in his half, John Higgins is a problem. He would run into John in the quarters. You have got to go out and do the business, regardless of who you play.
"The problem he has got, being the paper favourite, is that snooker is not played on paper.
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'Finishes in style!' - Robertson seals Hugill victory with a century
Robertson himself was left to reflect on his opponent's pre-match attire, his play and the dividing wall being lifted mid-encounter when he was interviewed following the action.
"When the wall goes up, I guess that probably worked in my favour a bit," Robertson told Eurosport after the match.
"That is kind of like a home-court advantage if you like. He is probably used to playing in the cubicles - and that is what we are playing in, it is like a cubicle set up - but then when that wall comes up, all of a sudden it is an arena.
"I seem to thrive off that, but I can't just rely on that wall coming up. Everyone in the arena actually got to enjoy some really good snooker, a few centuries and a couple of other big breaks as well.
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'I thrive off that' - Robertson on wall being lifted during Crucible clash
"It was also good to finish off with another century there, even though this morning I could have played a little bit better. I still think I made a pretty good account of myself for a tricky first-round match.
"When you are playing a debutant and he is a local guy as well, he was floating around in his jeans before the match with his waistcoat on! He was just like lapping it all up.
"You never really know what to expect, so I am pleased that he could kind of have some good moments.
"Yes, okay, of course, I would like to drub someone 10-0 or 10-1, but I am glad that he got a lot of positive things to take out of his first experience here."
Up next for Robertson will be a tricky match against either Jack Lisowski or Matthew Stevens in the second round, with the duo going head-to-head on Tuesday evening.
Having triumphed at the Crucible in 2010, Robertson has not managed to win the tournament again since.
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