England can have the Ashes – I'll take world title

Neil Robertson was crowned world snooker champion in the early hours of yesterday morning in Sheffield to complete an amazing journey. Richard Hercock reports.

Australian Neil Robertson was so broke when he arrived in England to chase his dream of becoming a professional snooker player he had to borrow a waistcoat from a friend to play a match.

Having turned professional when he was just 16, his first attempts at living in England ended in failure and resulted in him packing his bags and heading home to Melbourne.

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Robertson – who as a 14-year-old became the youngest player to make a century in an Australian ranking tournament – knew he had unrealised potential so returned and qualified for the main tour in 2003.

His potential was finally fulfilled approaching 1am yesterday as the 28-year-old became the first overseas player since Canada's Cliff Thorburn

in 1980, and the first Australian, to be crowned world champion at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

At first glance, the blond-haired potter looks as if he would be more at home among the surfing fraternity back in his native Australia rather than in a dusky snooker hall in England.

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"I had three goes at making it in snooker really and I didn't do any good and there's no way in the world any of the guys who beat me would have thought I could do what I've done," said Robertson, whose Norwegian girlfriend, Millie, is due to give birth to their first child any day now. "But I just kept persisting with it.

"I came over to Cambridge with 500 in my pocket and had to borrow a waistcoat off another Australian player as I couldn't afford to buy one. I could probably buy a few more now I guess."

His 250,000 jackpot for his

18-13 win over Graeme Dott will also have pleased mum Alison, who made a late dash from Australia to watch and landed just hours before the final cued off on Sunday.

"I seriously cannot believe it," said Roberston as he sat draped in the Australian flag. "It was such a titanic struggle of a match.

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"I also had so many added pressures, because my mum came over the day of the final, and I realised the potential of what impact it could have back home in Australia – to all the people back home and my family.

"It's great to have another champion from Down Under. England can have the Ashes, I'll have the world championship."

Robertson's parents scrimped and saved to fund their son's snooker dream so it was a proud moment for the once-shy lad who suffered from severe acne as a teenager.

"It was fantastic to have my mum there watching because she has never seen me play as a professional and it's these moments that you want to share with them," he said.

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"My mum had loads of courage and belief in me because she booked the flights from Australia when I was 15-9 up against Ali Carter. When I beat Ali, I got a voicemail saying they where leaving Singapore."

Robertson's triumph surprised even himself. He had checked out of his Sheffield apartment during the first week of the Crucible tournament after trailing qualifier Martin Gould 11-5 in their first-to-13 match. Robertson staged an amazing comeback to win by one frame and then had to beg to return to his lodgings.

The final itself was not a classic. Neither player brought their best game to the table, a fact highlighted by there being only one century break, Dott knocking in a 112, in 31 frames played over two days.

Robertson admitted: "The match didn't really come down to snooker skills in the end, it was more a case of who wanted it most. There is one thing for sure I will sleep well tonight."

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With a baby on the way, he had better make the most of an uninterrupted night's sleep while he can.

"I am due to be a dad very soon, maybe in a day or two so it's going to be a great time for me," he added. "It's just the icing on the cake.

"I did keep thinking that the snooker gods would not let me be a champion and a dad in the same week, but it looks likes I will be. It's incredible. I'm sure I will be experiencing a few emotions over the next few days.

"There is going to be added pressure on me being world champion, but I've always conducted myself well, I think because I've been almost a role model for everybody back home. So it will not be a problem."

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The investigation into newspaper allegations that John Higgins agreed to a frame-fixing deal continued yesterday.

David Douglas, the former Metropolitan Police detective chief superintendent who joined the board of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) last month, was due to meet management of the News of the World, who filmed Higgins allegedly agreeing to accept 261,000 in return for fixing the outcome of four frames in matches over the coming year.

Barry Hearn, chairman of the sport's governing body, insisted the sport can recover from the allegations and is determined to "cure the malaise" but believes the players are ultimately responsible for snooker's future.

Hearn stated that Pat Mooney, Higgins's manager, has "no future in snooker".

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Mooney accompanied Higgins to Kiev where the pair were filmed by the Sunday newspaper. New world No 1 Higgins denies any wrong-doing and has vowed to clear his name. In a statement he said he became worried during the Kiev meeting and suspected those involved were Russian Mafia.

However, Hearn believes Higgins should have got in touch with him from the moment he held any such suspicions.

Factfile on Australia's first world snooker champion

1982: Born February 11, Melbourne, Australia.

1996: Becomes youngest player, at 14, to make a century in an Australian ranking event.

1998: Leaves school at 15 and turns professional.

2000: Wins Australian Under-21 Championship.

2002: Wins Australian Open, beating Steve Mifsud

8-0.

2003: Wins World Under-21 Championship to earn a wild card for the main tour.

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2004: Wins Masters qualifying tournament but loses to Jimmy White in the first round.

2005: Qualifies for world championship for first time. Loses to Stephen Hendry in the first round.

2006: Reaches quarter-finals at world championship but loses 13-12 to Graeme Dott. Secures first ranking title, winning the Grand Prix.

2007: Wins Welsh Open, beating Andrew Higginson in final after knocking out Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Steve Davis in earlier rounds. Climbs to seventh in the world.

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2008: Wins Bahrain Championship, defeating Matthew Stevens in final.

2009: Reaches world championship semi-final, losing to Shaun Murphy. Wins Grand Prix title in October.

2010: April 1 – Robertson makes first professional 147 maximum break.

May: Defeats Fergal O'Brien, Martin Gould, Steve Davis and Ali Carter before winning world title with 18-13 victory over Graeme Dott.

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