Robertson sets up Wakelin semi at Champion of Champions
The Australian beat Jak Jones 6-3 in the Group Two final in Leicester after the Welshman had earlier knocked out 2025 runner-up Judd Trump in a deciding frame.
LEICESTER — Neil Robertson booked a semi-final against Chris Wakelin at the Champion of Champions after beating Jak Jones 6-3 in the Group Two final at the Mattioli Arena on Tuesday night.
Earlier in the day, Robertson had beaten women's world champion Panchaya Channoi 4-2, while Jones produced the shock of the session — edging 2025 runner-up Judd Trump 4-3 to send last year's beaten finalist out in the opening round.
Jones carried that momentum into the evening match, taking the first two frames before Robertson reeled off three in a row, highlighted by a 130 break. Jones answered with a match-high 133 — his last frame of the night — as the world No.3 closed out a 6-3 win.
The Australian was the last man invited into the 16-player field, called up on ranking after last season's 26 titles were spread across 15 different winners. He now faces Wakelin in Friday's semi-final after the qualifier dethroned defending champion Mark Selby 6-2 on Monday night. Wednesday sees Ronnie O'Sullivan open Group Three against Shaun Murphy, with Wu Yize facing Chang Bingyu.
Why it matters: Jones's defeat of Trump was the upset of the day — a year after losing the final here to Selby, Trump is out without reaching the last eight — and Robertson's recovery from 2-0 down keeps the world No.3 on course in a bracket already missing its champion after Wakelin's day-one dethroning of Selby.
Sources: snooker.org, TNT Sports, Eurosport, Totally Snookered.
