Robertson went on to beat champion Dott 18-13 at the Crucible Theatre to claim the title of the World Snooker Championship. -AP Photo
SHEFFIELD Australia's Neil Robertson became the first player from outside the British Isles since 1980 to win the World Snooker Championship when he sealed victory over Graeme Dott in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Resuming the evening session with a 12-10 lead, Robertson went on to beat former champion Dott 18-13 at the Crucible Theatre to claim the title and a cheque for 250,000 pounds ($381,000).

“It's an amazing feeling to be world champion after a Titanic struggle of a match,” a relieved Robertson told reporters. “The pressure before the final and during the final was absolutely unbelievable because there's so much at stake.”

However, the final showdown was somewhat overshadowed by the match-fixing allegations surrounding last year's champion John Higgins, which surfaced just hours before the contest got underway.

Giving his reaction to the story which has rocked the sport to its core, Robertson said “It took me by absolute surprise, but I don't really know enough about it to comment about it.”

Robertson gave his backing to new World Professional Snooker and Billiards Association chairman Barry Hearn, who reacted swiftly to the scandal by suspending Higgins and launching an investigation into the matter.

“I couldn't be more happy with Barry's reaction so far. He is a million percent the man to take the game forward,” Robertson added.—Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Islamabad march
Updated 27 Nov, 2024

Islamabad march

WITH emotions running high, chaos closes in. As these words were being written, rumours and speculation were all...
Policing the internet
27 Nov, 2024

Policing the internet

IT is chilling to witness how Pakistan — a nation that embraced the freedoms of modern democracy, and the tech ...
Correcting sports priorities
27 Nov, 2024

Correcting sports priorities

IT has been a lingering battle that has cast a shadow over sports in Pakistan: who are the national sports...
Kurram ceasefire
Updated 26 Nov, 2024

Kurram ceasefire

DESPITE efforts by the KP government to bring about a ceasefire in Kurram tribal district, the bloodletting has...
Hollow victory
26 Nov, 2024

Hollow victory

THE conclusion of COP29 in Baku has left developing nations — struggling with the mounting costs of climate...
Infrastructure schemes
26 Nov, 2024

Infrastructure schemes

THE government’s decision to finance priority PSDP schemes on a three-year rolling basis is a significant step...