Mark Allen shows his true colours with message to Neil Robertson after English Open win
Neil Robertson won the English Open on Sunday night, beating Wu Yize in the final, and the Australian has been sent a heartwarming message by his peer Mark Allen
Mark Allen has lumped praise on former world champion Neil Robertson following his victory at the English Open.
The 42-year-old Australian triumphed over Wu Yize in a nail-biting Brentwood final, clinching the win 9-7 despite having previously held an 8-2 lead - which acted as a relief as Robertson's recent years on the tour have been challenging with no ranking title to his name since 2022.
He also missed out on this year's World Snooker Championship at the Crucible, marking his first absence from the showcase tour event in two decades.
However, he took it upon himself to stage a comeback this summer - a decision that clearly paid off in Essex as Robertson saw off competitors such as Barry Hawkins and Chris Wakelin on his path to the final, appearing to be back on top form.
READ MORE: Ronnie O'Sullivan and Laila Rouass raise eyebrows with antics days after splitREAD MORE: John Higgins leaves snooker commentator in awe of ‘greatest double kiss’ he’s ever seenHe seemed set for an easy victory after surging to an impressive 8-2 lead over Wu. But just as the trophy appeared within Robertson's grasp, Wu launched an incredible comeback, winning five consecutive frames to narrow the gap to 8-7.
Nonetheless, thanks to a well-timed fluke in what would prove to be the decisive frame, Robertson managed to secure his victory. His win was warmly received by the Essex crowd and his fellow professionals, with Allen taking to X to commend the 'Thunder From Down Under,' reports the Express.
Allen posted: "Congratulations to Neil Robertson. It's about time!!!! Classy classy player back in the winners enclosure."
Robertson's last successful shot at a ranking title was back in the 2022 Tour Championship, where he actually took out Allen in a stunning quarter-final match. He pocketed three titles that campaign.
The past couple of years weren't kind to Robertson, though, as he saw his world ranking slip beyond the top 16. However, his recent win on Sunday catapulted him right back into the elite circle.
"He [Wu] completely froze me out," confessed Robertson. "He played the best snooker I've ever seen in a five or six-frame spell. I hardly did anything wrong at all. He played some inspired stuff.
"Luckily, I've experienced that before in the past in finals where I've had a big lead, and I haven't done much wrong to lose five or six frames in a row. I had to just remember those moments, that I came back from those as well.
"When I got the chance, the balls were nice, and thankfully, I was able to get it done. It wasn't looking good at one stage! You start thinking about potentially of runners-up speeches and how humble you're going to have to be after being 8-2 in front."
Cashing in the £100,000 winner's cheque, the Australian shared that his family, including his father, spouse, and kids, were there to witness his epic win in Essex.
"This means everything," Robertson continued. "My dad's here and he's never even see me play in a final before and I've been a pro for 20 years. He's never been in the country when I've been doing well.
"This is the first title I can win in front of him. I've won over 30 tournaments but this is the first I've won with him here and that means the world to me. And my kids and Mille are here as well. It's a lot of firsts and hopefully there'll be many more."
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