Robertson Crashes Out of Wuxi

Three of the world's top 16 were beaten in the first round of the Wuxi Classic in China on Tuesday.

Neil Robertson, Ding Junhui and Martin Gould all crashed out of the first ranking event of the season.

2010 world champion Robertson was beaten 5-1 by Scotland's Jamie Burnett, while China's Junhui suffered a 5-2 defeat to Mark Davis, and Jamie Cope knocked out world number 14 Gould 5-3.

World championship runner-up Ali Carter was also a first round casualty.

The world number 17, who was a finalist at the Crucible in 2008 and 2012, went down 5-3 to Ireland's Fergal O'Brien.

Masters champion Robertson only hit one break above 50 in his defeat to Burnett.

"It's always a good feeling to beat a top player," Burnett, who reached the final of the Shanghai Masters in 2010, said.

"I think the scoreline is flattering to say the least and I think it's 5-1 because Neil didn't play well, not because I played well.

"It's not often that a top player struggles, but when they do you have to take advantage of it, you have to take your chances."

World number 39 Burnett will play Davis in the next round.

On Monday, Mark Selby booked his place in the second round with a 5-2 win over Barry Hawkins.

The world number one now feels he has finally recovered from the neck injury that blighted him at the end of last season.

"At the end of last season I was worried about whether I'd be able to play again or whether it would go completely, and whether I'd have the chance to perform and keep playing," said Selby.

"But the problem is 90% gone and I'm playing without much discomfort. I'm just happy to be playing again. To be here is a bonus but to perform the way I did on the first game of the season, I'm over the moon."

Hendry Surprises Robertson in Wales

Veteran Stephen Hendry caused a surprise in the first round of the Welsh Open with a 4-1 victory over Australian Neil Robertson.

The 43-year-old Scot scored heavily, opening with a break of 62 before being pegged back by Robertson's 135.

But it was the Masters champion's only joy as Hendry clinched a frame on a re-spotted black and adding breaks of 67 and 86 to advance into round two.

He will face either Ken Doherty or Mark Allen in the last 16.

"Wow great performance by Hendry to beat me there. That was the Hendry of old unfortunately for me," Robertson wrote on Twitter.

World number one Mark Selby survived a scare against qualifier Sam Baird to narrowly scrape into the next round with a 4-3 victory.

The Leicester man was 3-2 behind but showed his grit to take the last two frames.

He will face Martin Gould who triumped after a 4-2 win over the 2002 world champion Peter Ebdon. The Englishman hit breaks off 99, 82 and 73 to go through.

Welshman Mark Williams also advanced with a 4-3 win over England's Andy Hicks.

The two-time world champion was behind three times, but edged out his opponent by taking the last two frames to set up a clash with either Ronnie O'Sullivan or Marco Fu.

Meanwhile, Stephen Lee brushed aside Michael Holt 4-1 to book his place in the second round.

The 37-year-old from Wiltshire took the first frame but Holt levelled in the next. However, Lee went ahead in the third and did not look back to book a meeting with Tom Ford.

Robertson Celebrates Australia Day

Neil Robertson was crowned 2012 BGC Masters champion after defeating Shaun Murphy 10-6 in Sunday's final at Alexandra Palace.

The Cambridge-based Australian, 29, was in magnificent form during a dominant second session, winning four successive frames to establish an unassailable position.

A high-quality and tense first session ebbed and flowed, but it was Robertson who finished the stronger, winning the final two frames to secure a confidence-building 5-3 lead.

And the man from Melbourne grew in confidence as the match progressed to complete his seventh victory in the seven rankings finals he has contested.

'I think that a good start was really important,' Robertson said.

'I was quite lucky to be in there at three-all and after that I think I played some really good match snooker.

'It means a lot.

'After the World Championship this is the tournament I really wanted to win.

'My path to the final definitely hasn't been easy but I've stuck to it, played some really good stuff and I'm over the moon.

'At the start of the season I wanted to get to the latter stages of most of the events.

'To win the Masters has made the season for me really.'

Ranked number four in the world, Robertson displayed few chinks in his armour with a fleeting late fightback from Murphy failing to halt the procession.

Murphy needed to respond early in the second session after slipping 5-3 behind and he did exactly that with two commanding visits to the table forcing Robertson to concede the ninth.

But Murphy, ranked sixth in the world, looked on thoughtfully as Robertson produced a brave 101 topped by a difficult red into the middle pocket to restore his two frame-lead.

A tremendous long-range red hauled Murphy back into contention in an 11th frame notable for a succession of errors from both players.

Robertson displayed his potting skill to match Murphy with a long red of his own before winning the war of attrition that marked the closing stages of the frame.

The emphasis on safety continued into the 12th and it was Robertson who eventually broke the deadlock with a wonderful red to the middle right pocket.

It was the opening shot of a break of 76 that placed him 8-4 ahead and worryingly for Murphy he was showing no weaknesses in his game.

Murphy made an encouraging start to the 13th, but once more his lack of accuracy cost him with Robertson not needing a second invitation when a mistake brought him to the table.

Another break of 76 prompted Murphy to stay in his seat, placing Robertson on the brink of victory.

Refusing to throw in the towel, Murphy won the next frame in double quick time and then produced a stunning pot of the blue, complete with screw back, on the way to winning the 15th frame with a break of 86.

Robertson was on course to romp home in the 16th after amassing a break of 70, only to miss a simple red.

Murphy could not capitalise, however, and upon his return to the table Robertson closed out the game, raising his hands and cue aloft as he celebrated his first Masters title.

Neil Robertson into Last Four

Neil Robertson is through to the last four of the Masters after a 6-4 quarter-final win over Mark Williams at Alexandra Palace.

A break of 95 gave the Australian a 3-1 interval lead, which he extended to 4-1 after the break.

The Welshman fought back to 4-3, but Robertson moved to within one frame of victory with a 119 clearance.

Williams won the next two, only to miss a black in the 11th that let Robertson book a meeting with Judd Trump.

It was fitting that a Williams mistake gave Robertson the chance to seal his passage to the last four, the world number two having put in a display littered with errors, for which he was punished.

In the scrappy, near 40-minute first frame, and again in the third, fifth and eighth, Williams made basic errors and was made to pay by Robertson, who overcame damage to his cue tip to book a first Masters semi-final after three previous quarter-final defeats.

"I potted some really good balls under pressure to go 5-3 up," said Robertson. "From there you expect to have once decent chance to win the match.

"I miscued in practice and [the cue tip] flared up. We tried to repair it as best we could. I'll have to change it tonight.

"You're meant to play in a few cue tips to get them ready in case this happens, but I haven't done that. I'll have to get in a couple of hours' practice to play it in."

After a forgettable first frame, Williams levelled with a break of 78 before Robertson opened up a lead that he would ultimately not relinquish.

The world number five won the third on the final black after Williams missed a straight yellow, then triumphed either side of the interval to go within two frames of victory.

Williams, a two-time Masters champion, took advantage of a touching ball to use the black to pot a red on the way to winning the sixth and further reduced the gap with a run of 68 in the seventh.

Robertson's brilliant clearance in the eighth put him on the brink of victory and, although Williams was able to prolong the match with the help of a 78 in the ninth, a final, fatal error in the 11th sealed his fate.