Neil Robertson became the first player since 1989 to secure a whitewash win a two-session ranking final with his 9-0 victory over Zhou Yuelong at the European Masters on Sunday.
The last time the feat was achieved was at the 1989 Grand Prix when Steve Davis walloped Dean Reynolds 10-0 at the Hexagon Theatre in Reading.
Robertson secured the incredible win with breaks of 57, 99, 128, 82 and 109 along the way, with Zhou scoring just 167 points over the entire contest.
The 22-year-old was appearing in his first ranking final and it is probably an experience he will want to forget, although the £35,000 second prize will soften the blow.
The Australian, though, not only secured the immense scoreline, but also made it 15 years on the spin that he has won a tournament, another staggering achievement from the former world number one.
‘The press were letting me know about it as I was going further and further that it could be 15 years in a row winning a tournament,’ said the Thunder from Down Under after the victory.
‘I’m not sure how many players have done that, but it’s certainly a fantastic achievement for myself.
‘Tonight, 9-0, I know that Steve Davis is the only player to do that and that was in 1989, so a few records equaled or broken today.
‘Every day, week, year I try to improve as a player and it’s led me to a lot of success and hopefully I can keep it going for a long time yet.’
While it was a staggering performance from the Aussie, it was something of an anti-climax for the fans in Dornbirn, Austria, where the event was being held for the first time.
Robertson took an 8-0 lead into the evening session of the match and finished the game off at the earliest opportunity, leaving the crowd with just one frame to see in the second session.
‘It was a strange feeling tonight because if I had lost one or two frames I would have been disappointed not to join Steve Davis, 31 years after it had previously been done,’ Neil continued.
‘That gave me an extra focus tonight, to really try and win that frame. On the colours I was just praying for one chance, and I knocked in a good green.
‘The first two frames this afternoon could have gone either way, after that I played well, I was very aggressive. My long potting was ridiculous and I scored very heavily. From 2-0 to 8-0 he didn’t do much wrong.
‘To win 9-0 is amazing. It’s just one of those rare things. I didn’t let him settle, I kept my foot down all the way. I was determined to win every frame. I feel a bit sorry for the crowd tonight because they didn’t see much snooker, but at the same time they got to witness a bit of history.
‘As soon as I was shaking Zhou’s hand I told him not to worry about it. He has a lot of positives to take away from the week. I’m sure he will win a tournament before long.
‘Winning a title early in the year gives me breathing space. I’m really proud of that (15-year) record. I always try to improve every year because the whole tour is improving all the time.’
Robertson pocketed £80,000 for his efforts in Austria, which takes him straight to the top of the European Series Order of Merit.
Whoever tops this list, which involves the German Masters, Shoot Out and Gibraltar Open, will get a hefty bonus of £150,000, which Robbo is unsurprisingly motivated by.
‘I’m really keen to press home my advantage (for the BetVictor bonus), a good run in Germany could almost secure it for me. You might see me in the Shoot Out as well.’
Robertson’s win in Dornbirn also takes him to 17 ranking titles, joint sixth on the all-time list alongside Mark Selby.
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry lead the way on 36 each, with John Higgins on 30, Davis on 28 and Mark Williams picking up 22.
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