Wakelin sinks Robertson to reach first Champion of Champions final
The Englishman took the last three frames for the loss of nine points to close out a 6-2 semi-final win in Leicester — and meets the winner of Saturday's Shaun Murphy–Kyren Wilson clash for the title on Sunday.
LEICESTER — Chris Wakelin is one win from the biggest title of his career after sinking two-time champion Neil Robertson 6-2 in Friday's first Champion of Champions semi-final at the Mattioli Arena.
The 34-year-old Englishman — whitewashed on his only previous appearance at the event three years ago — closed out victory in emphatic style, taking the last three frames for the loss of just nine points and sealing it with a run of 87 in the eighth.
Robertson hit back with a century after Wakelin took a scrappy opener, and a run of 80 hauled the Australian level at 2-2 despite Wakelin stealing the third with a superb long red. But from there it was one-way traffic: Wakelin ground out the fifth, controlled the sixth, then compiled a superb 100 of his own in the seventh after Robertson went in-off at the wrong time.
A foul from the Australian opened the door in the eighth and Wakelin needed no second invitation — a closing 87 completing a 6-2 win and a first Champion of Champions final.
"I felt nervous in the last frame, the first time I've felt nervous in a match for some time," Wakelin said afterwards. "Me and Neil have had some great battles over the years, so I knew coming into today I had to play my best to win."
Wakelin, who dethroned defending champion Mark Selby to win Group One on Monday, is the first man into Sunday's best-of-19 final. His opponent will be settled on Saturday night when Shaun Murphy — yet to drop a frame all week — meets the in-form Kyren Wilson in the second semi-final at the Mattioli.
Robertson's wait for a first title since the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in August 2025 goes on.
Sources: official event report, The Sun live and Eurosport. See our day-four coverage.
