Anthony McGill, the last Scot in the BetVictor Scottish Open, bowed out 4-2 in a tense battle with Australian cueman, Neil Robertson.
The Glaswegian (pictured) started well, accumulating a 39 break, then he had another visit to the table minutes later, scoring five, but a missed red into the yellow pocket proved costly and he remained in his chair for the rest of the frame.
Robertson clinically worked his way around the table after pocketing a red left exposed near the bottom right hand pocket and the Aussie cleaned up with a superb break of 88.
He was back in business in the second but his break ended at 38. The Scot potted a superb long red in the bottom right-hand pocket to start his break and he followed with a delicately-played long blue into the same bag.
A red was followed by a calmly played pink into the middle. Another pink followed taking his break to 20 and he continued to concentrate on the pink.
A neat red put the Glaswegian behind the black and he had to employ a high bridge to pot to creep to within three points of the man from Melbourne.
A black took the 31-year-old to 43 and he thought long and hard before attacking a red along the cushion, screwing back for position on the black.
It was awkward so a long pink followed before he found a decent position on the black which disappeared. The break was now 58.
Red along the cushion, pink in the bottom right, the final red along the bottom cushion awaited. It disappeared and McGill was on the black with all the colours on their spots. Break now 73. On he went and the black secured a 100 break to level at 1-1.
A mistake early on in the third, leaving a red near the bottom left pocket allowed the 40-year-old Aussie in, despite the cue ball lying near the baulk cushion.
He pocketed the blue for 37 points and split the reds, picking one off near the middle bag. Another blue into the middle and screw back into the pack, then he took some time to consider his next move.
In went a red to the middle followed by the green, then he managed the cue ball around the table to 95 and the black into the bottom right took him into three figures with all colours, bar the pink, on their spots. Cue ball cut off the blue and behind the pink looked ideal but he failed to put into the bottom left. The break ended on 117 and he moved 2-1 ahead.
McGill had a real battle on his hands against the considered approach of Cambridge-based Robertson. Frame four opened with McGill potting one of the reds in the pack. He continued but with the break on 39 he tried to split the reds but was unlucky. He was forced to take on a long red and missed.
Robertson was reprieved and he made the Scot pay, a blue into the middle by-passed McGill’s score and took him to 43 and on he went, putting space between him and his opponent.
He moved to 60 with one red left and down it went followed by the yellow, and all the colours were there for the taking. The blonde cueman delivered and he took his break to 90 for 3-1, one frame from victory.
And he started the next well, moving swiftly to 22 before considering his options. Red, blue then the former world champion, he beat Scotsman Graeme Dott in the 2010 final, marched around the table picking off the balls, but the break ended on 37.
McGill was back in with a chance of taking the frame and prolonging the match. He attempted to break up the pack off the pink and one red came loose. That rattled the jaws but dropped. Break 31.
The Scot moved past Robertson’s 37 and on to 50 with one red remaining. It disappeared with a cute cut into the bottom left pocket and in went the brown. The colours were waiting and the Scot made no mistake wrapping up the frame with a break of 82.
Frame six and McGill started the balls rolling, taking the cue ball back to the baulk cushion. Robertson attempted a safety and McGill reciprocated. Fencing followed before Robertson failed with a long red.
McGill showed him how to do it to open his account, and another long red took his score to 17 and on he went. However, with his score moving onto 36 with a blue into the middle, he overcut the red into a cluster forcing a safety.
Robertson failed to convert a loose red but, after a lengthy gap to consider, McGill also missed. Robertson then lined-up a red into the middle and he converted. Then safety.
McGill sensed the enormity of the shot and the moment but he held his nerve but left a ball lying and Robertson was back in with a chance of ending the match.
Red into the middle bag, but safety as the stakes were high and any mistake now could have proved fatal. More cat and mouse as the clock ticked on to two hours.
Robertson made his move, slotting a long red and black for 36-10, it quickly became 32-36 with a break of 30. Robertson passed McGill’s total and had 43 points left on the table, including two reds.
One went, then another and his break of 54 had moved the score on to 56-36 and McGill was staring defeat in the face. Robertson faltered at 63-36 with all colours left. McGill potted long yellow, a great shot under pressure, but missed a green into the middle bag.
Then Robertson missed a green into the bottom right (score 38-63) giving McGill another chance. He took it. Brown, blue, pink and black, a tricky shot down the cushion, disappeared in a break of 25 ffor 63-63.
The black was spotted. Who would crack first? McGill attempted an risky double into the yellow pocket, he missed. Robertson attempted to play safe but left the black near the middle pocket. McGill failed to convert and Robertson slotted into the yellow pocket to claim victory, his 12th win in 16 matches so far this season.
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