Ronnie O'Sullivan's actions speak volumes as Neil Robertson denies him £500,000 jackpot

Neil Robertson has shared details of his "incredibly special" bond with Ronnie O'Sullivan. It comes after the Australian ace edged past the seven-time world champion to claim the Saudi Arabia Masters crown at the weekend.

Robertson was forced to dig deep and showcase his finest form to overcome the 'Rocket' in a nail-biting finale that concluded 10-9 in Robertson's favour. Despite engaging in some fiery encounters on the green baize throughout their careers, Robertson has shed light on his friendship with one of snooker's all-time greats beyond the sport.

Discussing O'Sullivan, the 43-year-old said: "He calls me pretty frequently. He wants to see me win more world titles and more tournaments, he really wants to see me do well.

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"To have that kind of relationship with him is incredibly special. He's one of the inspirations for me. Growing up as a kid, there's no way I would have thought as a 14 or 15-year-old that I'll be competing against Ronnie in major finals or I'll be where I am today 30 years later."

Reflecting on the thrilling finale he experienced with O'Sullivan on Saturday, Robertson also confessed that he needed to produce his absolute best to emerge triumphant against the persistent danger posed by the 49-year-old. He added: "It's got to go down as one of the greatest finals of all time.

"To be a part of that and to be on the right side of it as well. I also believe if he's playing anyone else in the world, then he probably wins today. I think from 7-2 to 7-7. I'm not too sure...maybe Judd [Trump] or Kyren [Wilson] could possibly withstand that.

"To be able to withstand the pressure and to be the first person who stood up to him this week when he's come back like an absolute freight train, that's more pleasing than if I went on to win the match 10-4 or 10-5. To win it in this way from 9-8 down and the two breaks I made the last two frames, just amazing."

It proved a nail-biting encounter in Jeddah as Robertson established a commanding 7-2 advantage only to discover himself trailing 9-8 following a stunning comeback from O'Sullivan.

The Thunder from Down-Under then managed to pip O'Sullivan with a thrilling 10-9 victory to claim a £500,000 jackpot and rocket to third in the world rankings, now hot on the heels of Trump and Wilson.

Whilst Robertson claimed the same amount that Zhao Xintong banked for capturing the World Snooker Championship earlier this year, O'Sullivan still secured a decent £200,000 windfall of his own as runner-up. He will now switch his focus to his British Open qualification battle with Lam Sanderson on Friday evening.