Neil Robertson, winner of the Grand Prix and Welsh Open titles this season, made a winning start to the Kilkenny Irish Masters with a 4-1 victory over Stephen Lee yesterday.

The Australian compiled breaks of 73 and 51.

John Higgins lost his fourth successive match after going down to a 4-2 defeat to Northern Ireland's Gerard Greene. Higgins, beaten in the opening round of the Masters, Malta Cup and Welsh Open, led 2-0 but Greene made breaks of 80, 60 and 67 to win.