Australian Goldfields Open Day 1

Image: World Snooker

Neil Robertson’s hopes of winning his home event for the first time remain alive after he defeated Marcus Campbell 5-1. The world number one has never progressed past the last 16 stage of the tournament during its last two runnings but saw off his Scottish opponent with relative ease. Campbell won a lengthy opener which lasted 43 minutes but Robertson hit back to win the next three with top breaks of 71 and 102. He then took closely fought frames five and six and in his post-match interview revealed that he had been struggling with a flu-like illness for the past week and had very little preparation for the tournament.

Zhang Anda caused a big upset on the other table during the evening session after defeating Widnes’ Andrew Higginson. The world number 78 from China started off excellently and knocked in breaks of 96, 62 and 63 on course to a 3-1 interval lead. He followed that up by winning the next two to secure a 5-1 win.

In the afternoon session, Jamie Cope came back from 4-3 down to beat Martin Gould 5-4. Cope has endured a disastrous couple of years linked to an incurable tremor in his hand but has started this season well. The first four frames were shared but a break of 61 put Cope 4-3 up. Gould hit back winning the next two, with the tournaments’ highest break of 135 to go within a frame of victory but the Stoke man hit runs of 73 and 96 to make the last 16 where he will face Robertson.

Defending champion Barry Hawkins is also through after seeing off Dechawat Poomjaeng 5-1. Poomjaeng rose to fame at last season’s World Championships with his crazy antics but his run to the crucible has done him no end of good and has started this season really well. He took the opening frame but it was all one way traffic from there as Hawkins knocked in top runs of 61, 80 and 55 on course to victory.

He’ll face Tom Ford in the last 16 after he overcame Ryan Day 5-3. The pair shared the first four frames but Ford went 3-2 up with a break of 64 in frame five. Day hit back with a 109 but Leicester’s Ford won the next two with a top run of 128 to progress.

2011 champions Stuart Bingham is also through after beating Noppon Saengkham 5-1. Bingham won all four frames before the interval with top breaks of 73 and 62. His Thai opponent hit back with a 71 in the next but Bingham completed the victory winning frame six.

Earlier in the morning session, the two wildcard matches were played but it was the main tour players who progressed. Welshman Michael White swiftly whitewashed Shaun Dalitz with a top break of 122.

Cleveland potter Mike Dunn found it much harder and needed a final frame decider to beat Steve Mifsud. Dunn won the opener but Mifsud won the next three to lead at the interval. Dunn, who later tweeted that he was suffering from jetlag, pulled it back to 3-3 but Mifsud, who played on the main tour in 2002/03 and 2007/08 went 4-3 up ahead by taking the seventh. However 41-year-old Dunn won the final two frames and will face Dominic Dale tomorrow morning.