'I’m carrying it with me' - Jack Lisowski reveals Ukraine inspiration after Neil Robertson win at World Championship
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Published 26/04/2022 at 08:03 GMT
Jack Lisowski won a thrilling final-frame decider to beat Neil Robertson and reach the quarter-finals of the World Snooker Championship. Lisowski's grandfather is from Ukraine but he has been blocked from wearing the country's flag on a badge at the Crucible. He says he is still thinking of Ukraine and hopes to continue winning for the country when he faces John Higgins next.
‘I wasn’t allowed’ – Lisowski on fight to wear Ukraine badge
Jack Lisowski says his World Championship bid is being inspired by events in Ukraine even though he has been blocked from wearing the country’s flag on his waistcoat.
Lisowski’s grandfather is from Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia for the last two months.
He wore a Ukraine badge on his waistcoat in tournaments leading up to the World Championship to show his support for the country, but World Snooker refused to grant permission for the same gesture at the Crucible.
Lisowski said that he planned to “wave the flag in the arena” if he beat Neil Robertson in the second round, and even though that didn’t happen after a thrilling victory, the 30-year-old said Ukraine was on his mind.
“I wanted to wear the Ukraine badge and I wasn’t allowed for whatever reason so I said if I won that game I’d get the flag out, I haven’t got that yet!” he told Eurosport.
“Last night I was thinking just win it so you can get a flag out. We all know what’s going on, I should have the flag in my waistcoat but I’m not allowed.
“I just have to keep winning and say support Ukraine. I’m carrying it with me, I have said about it, I played three or four tournaments with the badge on and I felt proud wearing it.”
Lisowski came through a thriller to beat pre-tournament favourite Robertson in a final-frame decider.
The Australian came back from 9-7 down, winning four frames in a row and making a 147 to move 11-10 ahead.
However, Lisowski battled back and managed to book a quarter-final meeting with John Higgins.
“That’s the best feeling I’ve ever had because I gave it everything,” said Lisowski.
“That’s the hardest I have ever worked for a game. It was an amazing feeling and an amazing match. I thought he was going to beat me 13-11, I thought he wasn’t going to miss and I realised I was so gutted because I gave that match everything I had. I felt like it deserved a decider, just an incredible match.
“Neil is the best player in the world, he is playing the best snooker and has had the best season. He was the worst draw for me, he beat me 13-9 at the same stage last season, sometimes you can’t let these guys keep beat you so I felt the last three days I was trying my best to do that. To just pip him at the end is incredible.”
Reflecting on the impact of the 147, which saw Robertson close the lead to 10-9, Lisowski added: “It came after I lost a close frame and then I left him a long red and you know he’s going to pot it, the maximum never looked in doubt and he never looked like he was going to miss.
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'Fantastic!' - Watch Robertson’s 147 in full
“I needed the interval, hit a few balls and at 11-10 I potted a good red to the middle, made an 88, and that gave me a bit of belief.”
Lisowski will be back in action on Tuesday when he faces Higgins.
Lisowski beat Higgins in their previous meeting at the Scottish Open but was also thrashed by him 13-1 the last time they met at the Crucible in 2018.
“I beat [Stuart] Bingham then I had John the next game and I changed my tip and he is a savage human being and I wasn’t at the races,” he said.
“I beat him twice before, I am putting that one down to the tip! I might have won four frames if I had the tip on!”
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