Last Weekend’s New and Not So New Snooker Winners

Huge congratulations must go to last weekend’s winners in the European Masters for Women and the main tour European Masters in Lommel, Belgium.

Reanne Evans made it back into the winners’ enclosure in the European Masters for women in her first title of the 2018/19 season and on the main tour Jimmy Robertson, 32, scooped his first ranking title to join an elite group of players who have won just one ranking title.

Robertson defeated the Gentleman Joe Perry in a top quality final which saw a minor comeback from Joe Perry after being 7 – 3 down. But it was Robertson who held his nerve to win the match with a century 108 to seal his place in the winners’ enclosure 9 – 6.

Robertson said after the 75K win it had “come out of the blue.”

Winning Much Older

26 players have won just one ranking title as in the last couple of years, Jimmy Robertson has joined the likes of Mark King, a semi-finalist also in Lommel, and Joe Perry and Anthony Hamilton all who have won titles within the last couple of seasons.

Robertson’s win also means he has a place in next month’s Champion of Champions elite 16 man event in Coventry.

Recently, it has been the Class of 92 players in their 40s such as Mark Williams, Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins who have been clearing up at events in the last year but it was great to see a new face enter the winner’s enclosure on Sunday evening.

However, at 32, Robertson’s win still makes it hard for players under the age of 30 to win events.

It seems in snooker those waiting their turn to win a ranking event have to wait until at least their 30s now – or later to win their first!

Robertson will head to the south next for Crawley’s K2 where the English Open will be contested for the first time and Ronnie O’Sullivan will be back in action after his non-ranking win in Shanghai some two weeks ago or so.