Neil Robertson on Brink of World Grand Prix Glory After Destroying Bingham 8-0 in Final

Neil Robertson has put himself in prime position to claim his second World Grand Prix title, dominating the first session of the final in Hong Kong with an emphatic 8-0 lead over Stuart Bingham. The Australian, known as “The Thunder from Down Under,” is now just two frames away from securing victory, having previously won the event in 2020 by defeating Graeme Dott.

A triumph in this final would mark the 25th ranking title of Robertson’s illustrious career, surpassing Mark Selby on the all-time winners list and moving him into seventh place. The Melbourne-born cueist recently ended a two-year ranking title drought earlier this season by winning the BetVictor English Open, where he overcame China’s rising star Wu Yize 9-7 in the final.

Securing the £180,000 top prize at the World Grand Prix would significantly boost Robertson’s ranking, propelling him from 19th to 11th in the world standings. This would also all but guarantee his seeding for the prestigious World Championship. Furthermore, he would climb to third place in the Johnstone’s Paint One Year ranking list, putting him in a strong position ahead of the Sportsbet.io Players Championship, an elite event featuring the season’s top 16 performers.

For Stuart Bingham, this final marks a return to a ranking title match for the first time in six years. His last appearance in a ranking final was at the 2019 Gibraltar Open, where he claimed his sixth career title by defeating Ryan Day. However, with an 8-0 deficit, the Essex veteran faces a monumental challenge to turn the match around and keep his hopes of securing a seventh ranking title alive.

Robertson was in imperious form from the outset, making breaks of 87, 104, 71, and 59 to race into a 4-0 lead at the mid-session interval. Upon resumption, he showed his ruthless streak by snatching the next two frames on the black and pink, before producing a 78 break to extend his lead to 7-0. Bingham looked set to claim the eighth frame after a break of 63, but Robertson once again demonstrated his clinical finishing, clearing with a break of 66 to steal the frame on the black.

As the match heads into the evening session, Robertson is on the verge of making history by securing only the fourth-ever whitewash in a two-session ranking final. He previously achieved this feat in 2020, dismantling Zhou Yuelong 9-0 in the European Masters final. With just two more frames needed, the Australian appears destined to add another prestigious title to his collection.