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Eurosport sat down with commentators Mike Hallett and Joe Johnson to reflect on the conclusion of the Grand Prix in Glasgow, with Neil Robertson winning the tournament for a second time.

Eurosport: It is the first ranking final between two non-British players for nearly a quarter of a century - how encouraging is that for the growth of the sport?

Mike Hallett: It is mightily important for the sport. The emergence of the Chinese players and Neil Robertson flying the flag for Australia is great, and this will not be the last time that this pair will meet in a final. Both have played very well all week and it is great to see.

Joe Johnson: It is also very important for snooker that it is watched in other countries. Ding is great for the game in China, but Australia has lost its interest in the sport in recent years. Anything that Robertson does is therefore great for snooker.

ES: Both Robertson and Ding had the opportunity of becoming the most successful player from outside Britain with four titles to their name - where do they stand in the sport?

MH: Both players are still pretty young so they cannot be seen as legends just yet, but they have both won three ranking events. Ding won three as a teenager and, after a period of underperforming, he is back to his best now. With Ding 22 years old and Robertson 27, we just need a couple more to come through and the game will be in very good hands.

JJ: I would go along with all of that, except to say that in my mind Ding has been around for a long, long time. He has certainly raised the bar and since arriving on the scene as a 17-year-old has become a legend - in my mind, at least. I am sure he is going to take the mantle of the most ranking titles for a foreign player.

MH: You tend to have 10-year eras in the sport and this pair will be around for a long while to come. There is an emergence of players behind them and they can all step up in time.

ES: And what of the final itself?

MH: Robertson's semi-final with John Higgins was exceptional and I always felt that the winner would come out of that match because the Australian has looked very sharp all week. He had that edge about him which made you think he would come through.

JJ: I backed Robertson all the way through the tournament but he was slightly lucky in the first session of the final and he knew the importance of clinching a very tight sixth frame. Robertson and Ding jockeyed for position all the way through but the Australian had the edge when it mattered.

ES: How important is it for the sport to have finals with neither Ronnie O'Sullivan or John Higgins involved?

JJ: It is the time for new players to step up. You cannot have two players dominating for an extended period and there are so many quality players about now which is great for the game. The titles are shared out much more nowadays.

MH: Within the next two to three years, there is going to be a definite changing of the guard and I have no doubt about that. It is very exciting to see the new generation coming through.

ES: Who or what else stood out for you over the course of the tournament?

MH: Two or three things have stood out for me. The win for Mark King against Ricky Walden when he required three snookers and proceeded to make a clearance and won the match on the black. To see Mark Williams and Ken Doherty make good returns to form was very encouraging, and of course the semi-final between Robertson and Higgins. That was, most certainly, one of the best matches I have seen for a good while.

JJ: The FA Cup-style draw also added to the excitement as you were never sure who would be facing who, even in the early rounds. The early match between Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins was a classic example of that. I would also agree that the return of Williams and Doherty was great to see and they are both too good to not be there.

MH: I also hope that they stick with this format for the Grand Prix as it created some intriguing match-ups all the way through. The group-phase format we had a few years ago was a farce and a nightmare to follow. This tournament most certainly be kept as an FA-Cup style format.

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