Jack Lisowski denies 147 hero Neil Robertson in deciding frame epic at The Crucible
Jack Lisowski pulled off one of the biggest wins of his career as he defied a maximum break from Neil Robertson to edge a deciding frame epic and reach the World Championship Quarter-Finals.
A match of incredible drama saw Robertson produce the 12th maximum break in Crucible history, but only to fall short in a thrilling last-frame shoot out.
Having trailed 10-7, Robertson reeled off four frames in a row on Monday evening to lead for the first time since frame three, notably registering the fifth 147 break of his career in frame 19.
The feat secures the Australian a ยฃ47,500 bonus, but it proved bittersweet as he saw his hopes of ending a 12-year wait for a world title crushed by an inspired Lisowski.
Lisowski stopped the rot with a break of 88 to restore parity at 11-11, and after Robertson had punished a crucial missed green from ‘Jackpot’ to regain the lead, the world number 14 overturned a 55-point deficit with a stunning 72 break to force the first decider of the tournament.
Robertson had early chances to get in amongst the balls, but his trademark long potting deserted him at the crucial moment and Lisowski seized his chance to reach a first Quarter-Final in the sport’s show-piece event.
“I’ve never had a game like that in my life,” a relieved Lisowski told BBC Sport. “I’m just completely drained, I gave that everything I had.
“Neil’s the best player in the world at the moment and the way he came back at me tonight, it felt like he was punching me and I was losing all the energy out of my body.
“I drew upon the stuff I’ve learned and the hard work I’ve put in and I did a really good clearance to take it to a decider.
“I was a bit gone to be honest with you but the interval came at the right time.
“The 147 shook me up but I can’t believe I’ve beaten him.”
On a night of high drama in Sheffield, 2019 World Champion Judd Trump dug deep to close out a hard-fought 13-11 victory over 2020 semi-finalist Anthony McGill.
Trump led 10-6 overnight but saw his lead cut to just one frame as McGill won four of the opening five frames in the final session with breaks of 106, 78, 77 and 124 in the process.
Trump, who made his second century of the match in frame 18, steadied the ship with a 56 break to lead 12-10, and after McGill hit back with a half century of his own, the reigning Champion of Champions sealed the deal in frame 24 with a break of 55.
The win moves Trump into his fifth consecutive World Championship Quarter-Final – where he will face 2015 champion Stuart Bingham.
Bingham had earlier produced a clinical third session of snooker to seal a 13-9 victory over 2020 finalist Kyren Wilson.
The pair went into the final session locked level at 8-8, but Bingham surged clear by securing four frames without reply.
Frame 18 saw Bingham threaten a maximum, but only to miss the 13th red on 97.
Wilson claimed frame 21 on the final black to stop the rot, but any hopes of a miraculous turnaround were ended by Bingham in the following frame.
Meanwhile, John Higgins remained in the running for a fifth world title after completing a dominant 13-7 victory over qualifier Noppon Saengkham.
Higgins had pulled clear from four apiece to lead 11-5 overnight and a break of 62 immediately moved him to the verge of victory.
Saengkham, however, hit back with a break of 70, before potting 14 reds with blacks, only to miss the final red with the rest and see his maximum effort end on 112.
Higgins responded by piling in a break of 90 to kill off the match and reach his 16th Crucible Quarter-Final – where Lisowski now awaits.
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World Snooker Championship – Day Ten Results
Monday April 25
Last 16
Stuart Bingham 13-9 Kyren Wilson
John Higgins 13-7 Noppon Saengkham
Judd Trump 13-11 Anthony McGill
Jack Lisowski 13-12 Neil Robertson – *Robertson makes a maximum break*
๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐
Neil Robertson raises the roof with his first World Championship maximum ๐ฅ@nr147 | #ilovesnooker pic.twitter.com/1R470zyLbR
— Live Snooker (@Livesnooker) April 25, 2022