Neil Robertson admits he is feeling on top of his game after whitewashing his way to the Welsh Open final with victory over Hossein Vafaei.
The Australian blitzed to a 6-0 win with Vafaei barely even getting a sniff in the match, though his place in the last four was far from a disappointment.
But Robertson was not in the mood for sentimentality, breaks of 103 and 140 leaving his Iranian opponent to pick up just 55 points in six frames of snooker.
That understandably has the 2010 world champion flying high but he’s not done there – with a second Welsh Open title firmly in his sights.
“You never really expect to win so comfortably, Hossein had his chances in the first four frames but every mistake he made, I punished fully,” said Robertson, who faces Stuart Bingham in the final.
“That’s what you have to do, you can’t let the crowd get behind the underdog. I just kept applying the pressure, kept up the pace and scored heavily, doing everything I hoped to do in the match.
“I feel at the top of my game, I’m hitting the ball well and playing with a smile on my face. I’m enjoying the game, going out there and entertaining the crowd.
“I want them to be seeing me play well – I’ve won everything in the game and I just want to play with the freedom.
“Throughout my career there have been periods where I’ve had the handbrake on and tried not to lose, now I’m just fully relaxed and going out to win matches.”
Watch the Welsh Open LIVE on Eurosport and Eurosport Player, with analysis from Jimmy White and Neal Foulds
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here