Robertson Halts Bingham Fightback To Reach Final - UK Championship

Neil Robertson is through to his first UK Championship final after winning a thrilling semi-final again Stuart Bingham, who fought from 8-3 back to level the match at 8-8, only for the Australian to win 9-8.

Check out photos from the Williamhill UK Championship here, courtesy of Monique Limbos. Full draw/results from the tournament can be found here.

World no.1 Neil Robertson had a confortable 6-2 victory against Stephen Maguire in the quarter-finals yesterday and was the hot favourite going in to his semi-final match against Stuart Bingham, even with the Essex pro having beaten Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-4 that same afternoon.

Although it was Bingham who got off to the best start in front of the packed Barbican Centre crowd, winning 2 out of the first 3 frames with runs of 72 and 124, it would be Robertson who came out on top at the end of the afternoon session, winning four on the bounce with top contributions of 86 and 68 to ultimately end the session 5-3 in his favour.

Referee Leo Scullion & Stuart Bingham

When they resumed in the evening, it was the Australian who got off to the best start, winning the first 3 frames, which included a 85 break in the 12th, to go one away from victory at 8-3. 

What would happen next was nothing short of remarkable as Bingham, with his back against the wall, producing some brilliant snooker and top runs of 85, 86 and a 107 in the penultimate frame to win five on the trot and force what looked like a decider that was never going to happen.

In what was as to be expected, a scrappy frame, it started off slowly before 2010 World Champion Robertson made a well controlled break of 59, before missing what was effectively match ball, to let Bingham back in with a chance.

After scoring 15 points, former Australian Open champion Bingham was presented with a tricky plant to the corner which he missed, letting Robertson back in with the chance he needed to seal victory and come through an ecstatic 9-8 winner.

Neil Robertson

Although the Basildon man would of been desperate to come through the decider and nick the match after his heroic comeback, it just wasn't to be for him on the night. He can now take huge confidence going in to the two remaining big tournaments left this year, the Masters in January and then the World Championship at the Crucible in April.

Cambridge-based Robertson though will no doubt be delighted to have made it through to the showpiece final in York and will hope to go all the way against either Ricky Walden or defending champion Mark Selby who play their semi-final tomorrow.

An extra incentive to spur the 31-year-old on to victory in the final will be the knowledge that if he was to lift the trophy, he will have won snooker's prestigious 'Triple Crown' of major titles (UK, Masters and Worlds), and only be the eighth player to have done so and the first from outside the UK, will he do it at Sunday's final?