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Neil Robertson
Australian snooker player (born 1982) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Neil Alexander Robertson (born 11 February 1982)[2] is an Australian professional snooker player, who is a former world champion and former world number one. He is the most successful player from outside the United Kingdom and the only non-UK born player to have completed snooker's Triple Crown, having won the World Championship in 2010, the Masters in 2012 and 2022, and the UK Championship in 2013, 2015 and 2020. He has claimed 25 career ranking titles and won at least one professional tournament each year between 2006 and 2022.
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Robertson first turned professional in the 1998–99 season but was unsuccessful and dropped off the tour. He rejoined the tour for the 2003–04 season where his results improved, later becoming the first Australian to win a ranking event when he won the 2006 Grand Prix. He completed the triple crown in 2013 and was world number one on three separate occasions between 2010 and 2015. Despite dropping out of the top 16 during the 2023–24 season, Robertson has continued to enjoy success into his forties, with his most recent ranking event victory coming at the 2025 World Grand Prix, the victory also returned Robertson back into the top 16 of the world rankings.
A prolific break-builder, Robertson has compiled over 900 century breaks in professional competition, including five maximum breaks, becoming only the fourth player in professional snooker history to reach the 900-century mark. In the 2013–14 season, he became the first player to make 100 centuries in a single season, finishing with a then record 103 centuries. Robertson is a member of the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame and plays left-handed.
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Life and career
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Early career
Robertson first played snooker aged 11 at the pool club owned by his family.[3] He started his snooker career aged 14 and was victorious in the Australian under-18 snooker championship.[4] Robertson left school with no qualifications at the age of 15 in order to pursue his aim of becoming a professional snooker player.[5] His professional career began in the 1998–99 season,[6] and at the age of 17 he reached the fourth qualifying round of the 1999 World Championship where he was defeated by Leo Fernandez.[7]
During the 2001–02 season, Robertson relocated from Melbourne to Leicester, England, and developed homesickness. Reflecting back on his time there, Robertson said "I didn’t enjoy living there at all. It was completely different to Melbourne, so I really struggled".[8] Robertson dropped off the main tour and returned to Australia where he worked in a pub. He continued to play the game, and in July 2003 he won the World Under-21 Snooker Championship in New Zealand, before moving back to the United Kingdom and rejoining the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) main tour. This time Robertson lived in Cambridge with two friends and adjusted much quicker.[8] In December 2003, he made it through qualifying to book a place at the 2004 Masters, where he was knocked out of the tournament 2–6 by Jimmy White in the opening round. Robertson described his experience of playing White as being "like a rabbit in the headlights".[9][10] Robertson's first ranking event quarter-final came at the 2004 European Open, where he was eliminated again by White (3–5).[11][12]
In the 2004–05 season, Robertson reached the quarter-finals at the 2005 Welsh Open. He whitewashed Robert Milkins in the first round, then went on to progress past both White and John Higgins, before suffering a 4–5 defeat by Ronnie O'Sullivan.[13][14] He also made it to the quarter-finals at the Malta Cup by defeating Mark Williams and White, but then succumbed to Higgins who beat him 2–5.[15][16] At the end of the season, Robertson qualified for the 2005 World Championship, losing 7–10 to Stephen Hendry in the first round.[17]
In 2005–06, he continued to progress, moving up to the top 16 of the rankings by the end of the season.[11] He reached the semi-finals at the Northern Ireland Trophy, where he led 4–1, but ended up losing 4–6 to Matthew Stevens.[18] Robertson also made it to the quarter-finals of the 2005 UK Championship, where he lost 5–9 to Ding Junhui,[19] and the 2006 World Championship, in which he fought back from 8–12 down to level at 12–12 against eventual champion Graeme Dott, before losing the final frame by inadvertently potting the final pink which he needed on the table in his attempts to snooker Dott.[20]
Breakthrough: first ranking title
The 2006–07 season was successful for Robertson who secured his maiden ranking title win at the 2006 Grand Prix. Robertson beat O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals and Alan McManus in the semi-finals to reach his first ranking final. This also marked the first time an Australian had made it to a ranking event final since Warren King in 1990.[21] In the final, his opponent was the unseeded Jamie Cope whom he defeated 9–5, becoming the first Australian to win a ranking event.[22][23] Afterwards, he had early exits in both the 2006 UK Championship (5–9 to Robin Hull)[24] and the 2007 Masters (2–6 to Stephen Maguire),[25] but he found his form again en route to the final of the Welsh Open. He defeated Hendry in the last 16 and then overcame O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals.[26] After that he beat Steve Davis in the semi-finals,[27] and surprise finalist Andrew Higginson 9–8 to take the title. Robertson recovered from 6–8 down to win.[28][29] At the season's end, he reached the second round of the 2007 World Championship, but lost 10–13 to O'Sullivan.[30]
Robertson started the 2007–08 season badly, making early exits in three of the first four ranking events, as well as at the 2008 Masters (5–6 to Marco Fu).[31][32] His Welsh Open title defence also ended early, as he was defeated in the last 16 by Ali Carter 3–5.[33] At the 2008 World Championship, Robertson was defeated in the last 16 by Maguire 7–13,[34] and he finished the season ranked tenth.[35]
In the 2008–09 season, Robertson progressed to the final of the Bahrain Championship, where he played Stevens. The match lasted almost six hours in total, with Robertson triumphing 9–7.[36] During their quarter-final match at the 2009 Masters, Robertson and his opponent Maguire set a record of five consecutive century breaks. Robertson made two centuries and Maguire made three, Robertson lost the match 3–6.[37] At the 2009 World Championship, Robertson defeated Davis, Carter and Maguire to reach the semi-finals of the World Championship for the first time, before losing to Shaun Murphy 14–17, after recovering from 7–14 behind to level at 14–14.[38][39]
2009–2013
In October 2009, Robertson clinched the Grand Prix trophy in Glasgow with a 9–4 win over Ding, in the first ranking event final since 1985 to feature two overseas players. He compiled his 100th career century during the event. Robertson's fourth title made him the most successful player from outside the UK and Ireland in ranking tournaments.[40] At the China Open, Robertson made his first official maximum break. The break secured him £20,000 in prize money but he still lost his second round match against Peter Ebdon 1–5.[41]
Robertson defeated Fergal O'Brien in his opening match at the 2010 World Championship 10–5, and he then recovered from 5–11 down to win 13–12 against Martin Gould in their second round match. He then defeated Davis 13–5 and Carter 17–12 to reach the final, where he overcame Dott 18–13. Robertson was the first player from outside the UK and Ireland to win the title since Canada's Cliff Thorburn in 1980. Record books show that Robertson was the second Australian player to win the world snooker title, however Horace Lindrum who won in 1952 is not widely regarded as a credible world champion because the sport's leading players staged a boycott that year.[42][43][44] As a result some observers consider Robertson to be the first Australian world snooker champion.[45][46][47] The win took Robertson to a career-high ranking of world number two.[48]
At the 2010 World Open, Robertson reached the final where he beat O'Sullivan 5–1 to confirm his position as world number one.[49] He was invited to the 2010 Premier League Snooker, where he progressed to the semi-finals, but lost 1–5 against O'Sullivan.[50] Robertson reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 UK Championship, where he lost 7–9 to Murphy,[51] and the quarter-finals of the 2011 Masters, losing 4–6 to Mark Allen.[52] He could not defend his title at the 2011 World Championship, as he was defeated 8–10 in the first round by Judd Trump. Robertson became the latest player to fail to defend his first world title, supposedly a victim of the Crucible curse, where no first time winner has ever successfully defended their title at the Crucible.[53][54]
Robertson's 2011–12 season started with disappointment as he lost 4–5 to Dominic Dale in the last 16 of his home tournament, the Australian Goldfields Open.[55] However, his form improved and at the next world ranking event, the Shanghai Masters, he reached the semi-finals before losing 5–6 to Williams.[56] His first silverware of the season came in Warsaw at the PTC Event 6, where he beat Ricky Walden 4–1 in the final.[57] This success was followed by another PTC title in Event 8 where he again won 4–1, this time against Trump.[58] He would later finish third in the Order of Merit and therefore qualify for the 2012 PTC Finals.[59] His good form continued into the 2011 UK Championship in York, where he beat Tom Ford, Dott and Ding en route to his first semi-final at the event.[60][61] He played Trump but was eliminated 7–9.[62]
Robertson won the 2012 Masters by defeating Murphy 10–6.[63] He overcame Allen and Williams in the opening two rounds, before facing Trump in the semi-finals for the second successive major tournament. He exacted revenge for his defeat in York a month earlier by winning 6–3 and said after the match that he had been spurred on by fans cheering when Trump fluked shots.[64] Earlier in the tournament Robertson had offered to buy a pint of beer for anyone attending his matches in an Australian hat or shirt,[65] In the final, he secured a 5–3 lead over Murphy in the first session, and then went on secure the win and become the fourth man from outside the United Kingdom to win the event.[63]
Robertson later saw his run of nine televised finals without defeat finally come to an end when he was whitewashed 0–4 by Stephen Lee in the PTC Finals.[66] Robertson was drawn to play Ken Doherty in the first round of the 2012 World Championship. Robertson won the match 10–4, then beat qualifier David Gilbert 13–9 to set up a quarter-final clash with O'Sullivan.[67] Robertson was 5–3 ahead after the first session, but his opponent produced a match defining run of six frames in a row and went on to win 10–13.[68] Robertson finished the season ranked world number seven.[69]
Robertson began the 2012–13 season with some early defeats as he lost in the first round of the Wuxi Classic[70] and the second round of the Australian Goldfields Open.[71] He returned to form at the minor-ranking Gdynia Open in Poland by defeating Jamie Burnett 4–3 in the final.[72] At the inaugural International Championship in Chengdu, China, Robertson made the final and led Trump 8–6, but then lost four consecutive frames to suffer an 8–10 defeat.[73] He then reached the quarter-finals of the 2012 UK Championship to face Mark Selby. Robertson squandered a 4–0 lead to lose 4–6 in a match that finished after midnight.[74]
Robertson started 2013 by attempting to defend his Masters title. He reached the final where he faced Selby. Robertson won three frames from 3–8 down in the final, before Selby held off the fightback by taking the two frames he required to win 6–10.[75] Robertson finished fifth on the PTC Order of Merit to qualify for the Tour Championship Finals.[76] He made it to the final to face Ding, but from 3–0 ahead he lost four consecutive frames as Ding triumphed 3–4.[77]
Robertson returned to form at the China Open and won his seventh career ranking event. He advanced to the final and exacted revenge over Selby for his 6–10 Masters loss in January by defeating him by the same scoreline, moving to world number two in the process.[78] Despite appearing to be in good form for the 2013 World Championship, he lost to Milkins 8–10 in the first round, saying afterwards that he should have gone out to win the match rather than getting too involved in safety.[79] Robertson finished the season ranked world number two.[35] In 2013, Robertson was named in the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame.[80]
2013–2017
In May 2013, Robertson made the second official maximum break of his career in the Wuxi Classic qualifiers against Mohamed Khairy.[81] In the main stage of the tournament, he defeated Higgins 10–7 in the final to secure his eighth ranking event title.[82] At his home tournament, the Australian Goldfields Open, Robertson made it past the second round for the first time in his career[83] before continuing his run to make the final. He had the opportunity to become the first man since O'Sullivan in 2003 to win back to back ranking events in the same season, but he was unsuccessful, losing 6–9 to Fu.[84] Robertson defeated Mark Selby 10–7 in the final of the 2013 UK Championship in December, becoming the eighth player to win all three Triple Crown events. Robertson also had the distinction of becoming the first player from outside the United Kingdom to have achieved this feat.[85]
In the first session I was getting very frustrated. My focus was on the centuries and not the match. I wasn't even thinking about the century until there were only a few balls left and the frame was finished – then I really went for it. I would rather make the century of centuries here than a 147. I've made a couple of 147s and it's nowhere near the same achievement. Nobody will ever achieve 200 centuries – that would be impossible. For me to be the first player to achieve 100 centuries in a single season is a great honour. It may raise the bar for break-building. Stephen Hendry was the one who always tried to clear up no matter what, and that was the approach that I've taken all season.
In January 2014, during the Championship League, Robertson reached 63 century breaks in a single professional season, breaking the previous record of 61 centuries held by Trump.[87] By early February, he had reached 78 centuries, a feat that O'Sullivan called "probably the most phenomenal scoring in the history of the game."[88] At the China Open he reached the final, where he lost 5–10 to Ding despite increasing his tally of centuries to 93.[89]
Robertson extended his season's centuries to 99 in his first two 2014 World Championship matches. He missed a black on a break of 94 that would have seen him reach the 100 milestone during his win over Allen.[90] However, in the 22nd frame of his quarter-final clash against Trump, Robertson made his 100th century break of the season, which also levelled the scores at 11–11. Robertson, having trailed 2–6 and 8–11, went on to win the match 13–11 to set up a semi-final against Selby.[91] Selby defeated him 15–17 in a match that saw Robertson make three more century breaks to end his tally for the season at 103.[92] He ended the campaign as the world number three.[93]
Robertson advanced to the final of the Wuxi Classic early in the 2014–15 season where he played friend and practice partner Joe Perry. Robertson led 8–6 before Perry won three frames in a row to be one away from the title. Robertson fought back, securing the two final frames to win the match 10–9. He paid tribute to Perry's influence on his own career after the match, saying "Joe is one of my best friends on tour and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here today".[94] A week later he won through to the final of the Australian Goldfields Open but he was beaten in the final for the second year in a row, this time 5–9 by Trump. Robertson, however, reclaimed the world number one spot afterwards.[95] Robertson trailed Dott 0–5 in the fourth round of the 2014 UK Championship, but then made five breaks above 50 to draw level, before falling short of a big comeback as Dott took the final frame to clinch a 5–6 win.[96]
Robertson reached the final of the 2015 Masters by defeating O'Sullivan 6–1 in the semi-finals, marking the first time O'Sullivan had been eliminated at that stage of the event after ten previous wins.[97] However, in the final Robertson suffered the heaviest defeat in the Masters since 1988, as Murphy outplayed him to triumph 2–10.[98] He won his only European Tour event of the year at the Gdynia Open by beating Williams 4–0, his third career title in Poland.[99]
Robertson secured emphatic 10–2 and 13–5 wins over Jamie Jones and Carter to face Barry Hawkins in the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Championship. It was a high scoring encounter as both players compiled four centuries to match a Crucible record of eight centuries in a best-of-25-frames match, but eventually Robertson lost 12–13.[100][101] After the tournament, Robertson, who had won four ranking titles since his world title in 2010, stated "I truly believe I have underachieved in my career and I've got to put the work in to reach my potential".[102]
Robertson claimed his first major title in over twelve months by beating Allen 10–5 in the final of the 2015 Champion of Champions in November.[103] At the UK Championship, in their third round match, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh missed the final black for a 147, before Robertson made a 145 break in the next frame and went on to win 6–2.[104] Later in the event he whitewashed Selby 6–0 in their semi-final[105] and then captured the title for the second time with a 10–5 win against Liang Wenbo in the final. Robertson also became the first player to make a 147 break in a Triple Crown final. It was the first final in the event not to feature a player from the United Kingdom.[106]
Robertson and Trump set a record of six centuries in a best-of-11-frames match (four from Trump and two from Robertson) in the second round of the 2016 Masters, with Robertson exiting 5–6.[107] At the Welsh Open he overcame Allen in the semi-finals to set up a final with O'Sullivan.[108] Despite leading 5–2, Robertson lost 5–9 as O'Sullivan produced a comeback by winning seven frames in a row.[109] Following this he ended the season with a first round defeat at the 2016 World Championship where he was eliminated 6–10 by Michael Holt.[110]
At the 2016 Riga Masters, Robertson did not lose more than one frame in any match as he reached the final, in which he secured his twelfth ranking title with a 5–2 win over Holt.[111] He also played in the semi-finals of the European Masters where he was whitewashed 0–6 by O'Sullivan,[112] then lost 3–6 to Peter Lines in the first round of the 2016 UK Championship.[113] Robertson exited the 2017 Masters at the quarter-finals stage with a 3–6 defeat against O'Sullivan,[114] and was also knocked out at the same stage of the Players Championship 3–5 by Carter.[115] After a tough season culminating in an 11–13 loss to Fu in the second round of the World Snooker Championship, a performance he described as "garbage", Robertson declared that he intended to change tactics next season, in a bid to improve his game. He said "I am going to play a lot more aggressive and with a lot more freedom".[116]
2017–2021
In July, Robertson celebrated victory at the non-ranking 2017 Hong Kong Masters after a 6–3 win against O'Sullivan in the final.[117] He reached his first ranking event final in over a year at the Scottish Open in December, and he recovered from 4–8 down in the final to seal a 9–8 victory against Cao Yupeng.[118] In March 2018, Robertson was a quarter-finalist at the Players Championship, but suffered a 1–6 defeat by Trump.[119] He exited the China Open at the semi-finals, losing 6–10 to Hawkins,[120] and at the 2018 World Championship, Robertson lost in the first round 5–10 against Milkins.[121]
At the first ranking event of the 2018–19 season, the Riga Masters, Robertson won the event for the second time by defeating Jack Lisowski 5–2 in the final.[122] He also reached the final at the International Championship, but was defeated 5–10 by Allen,[123] to whom Robertson also lost in the quarter-finals of the 2018 Champion of Champions 1–6 a few days later.[124]
In January 2019, Robertson made it into the semi-finals of the 2019 Masters, but was eliminated by Trump 4–6.[125] Robertson won the Welsh Open, with a 9–7 victory over Stuart Bingham in the final. His second Welsh Open crown took him past £4m in career prize money earnings and helped him rise to world number eight.[126] Robertson was runner-up to O'Sullivan in both the Players Championship (4–10)[127] and the Tour Championship (11–13).[128] Later in the season, Robertson won the China Open for the second time after defeating Lisowski 11–4. Victory marked the first time that he had won three ranking events in the same season; these results elevated Robertson to fourth in the world rankings.[129] At the 2019 World Championship, he prevailed 13–6 against Murphy in the second round before losing 10–13 to Higgins in the quarter-finals.[130]
Robertson started the 2019–20 season as world number four, but due to technical issues linked with a flight, he was not able to defend his title at the opening ranking tournament of the season, the Riga Masters.[131] He made it to the semi-finals at the non-ranking Shanghai Masters, but was beaten 6–10 by O'Sullivan.[132] In October 2019, Robertson forfeited his place at the 2019 World Open qualifiers after mistakenly setting his Satnav to Barnsley, Gloucestershire instead of the Barnsley Metrodome in Yorkshire, 170 miles away.[133] In November, Robertson won the invitational Champion of Champions for the second time by edging out Trump 10–9 in the final. Robertson hit five centuries during the match, including a 137 break in the final frame. After the match Robertson said "It is the best match I have ever been involved in".[134]
At the 2020 Masters, he was eliminated in the first round by Maguire 5–6 despite leading 5–1.[135] After the Masters, he hit top form, reaching three consecutive ranking finals at the European Masters, German Masters and the World Grand Prix. He won the European Masters, whitewashing Zhou Yuelong 9–0,[136] and the World Grand Prix by defeating Dott 10–8. He made five centuries against Dott in the final to help secure his eighteenth ranking title win.[137] At the German Masters, he fell short to world number one Trump with a 6–9 defeat.[138] As a result of these performances he reached second place in the world rankings again. Robertson lost in the quarter-finals of the 2020 World Championship, 7–13 to Selby.[139]
In the first half of the 2020–21 season, Robertson was the runner up at the English Open, losing 8–9 to Trump,[140] and the Champion of Champions, where he was beaten by Allen 6–10.[141] In December, he won his third UK Championship title, defeating Trump 10–9 in the final. Robertson became the fifth player to win the triple crown event at least three times. He also scored thirteen centuries during the tournament, a record for a single UK Championship.[142] At the beginning of 2021 he suffered a 5–6 first round exit at the Masters to Yan Bingtao,[143] but in March he won the Tour Championship, securing a 10–4 victory against O'Sullivan in the final. O'Sullivan praised Robertson's performance saying "I've never seen anyone play as well as that".[144] He was a quarter-finalist three other times throughout the season, in the European Masters,[145] the Players Championship,[146] and again in the 2021 World Championship, where Kyren Wilson knocked him out of the tournament 8–13.[147]
2021–2025
In November, Robertson won the 2021 English Open by defeating Higgins 9–8, this marked his third different Home Nations title, having previously been victorious in both the Scottish Open and the Welsh Open.[148] Later that month, his UK Championship title defence was ended in a shock first round defeat by amateur player John Astley.[149] Robertson reached the final of the 2021 World Grand Prix, but was edged out 8–10 by O'Sullivan.[150]
In the second half of the season, he won the Masters for the second time, triumphing 6–5 against Williams in a dramatic semi-final where he needed two snookers to win the final frame. After the match Robertson said "Never give up, never ever give up. Any kids out there watching this, anyone, does not matter how it looks, just don't give up. [...] To have a match that finishes like that, you will probably never see that ever again in sport. It was incredible and will take some hours to sink in. I don't think you will ever see an end to a match like that. I have never seen it before, it is unbelievable".[151] He went on to lift the trophy after then winning 10–4 against Hawkins in the final. His sixth Triple Crown success moved him up to eighth place on the all time winners list for these events.[152] Aged 39, Robertson revealed that becoming a multiple world champion was his "last box to tick". He explained that NFL player Tom Brady was someone he looked up to saying "It's not too late to become a three or four-time world champion. Look at Tom Brady, he is a massive inspiration".[153]
Robertson then won the 2022 Players Championship, beating Hawkins again, this time 10–5. His maiden win in the event moved him up to second in the world rankings.[154] In April, he successfully defended his Tour Championship title, winning 10–9 against Higgins in the final, coming back after earlier trailing 4–9.[155] At the end of the season, his fifth career maximum break came at the 2022 World Championship, in the nineteenth frame of his second round match against Lisowski. He eventually ended up losing the contest 12–13, marking the eighth consecutive year that Robertson had failed to make the semi-finals of the competition.[156] Robertson brushed off the defeat saying "The season I've had has been the season of absolute dreams".[157] At the World Snooker Tour awards for the 2021–22 season, Robertson was named player of the year.[158]
At the beginning of the 2022–23 season, Robertson missed the 2022 Championship League, as well as the European Masters and the British Open. He stated that he chose to opt out of the events and said: "I used to play in most tournaments, but I'm playing for fun now. I've got a young family now so I don't need to play in every tournament these days. My family is really important to me, they're my inspiration to win".[159] He did participate in the 2022 World Mixed Doubles though, and won the tournament with Mink Nutcharut, beating Selby and Rebecca Kenna 4–2 in the final.[160]
Robertson exited at the semi-final stage of the 2022 Hong Kong Masters, losing to O'Sullivan 4–6;[161] the Northern Ireland Open, being beaten by Allen 2–6;[162] the Scottish Open, in which he was defeated by Joe O'Connor 3–6;[163] and the English Open, where his 4–6 loss to Mark Selby saw the end of his title defence, as well as ending his seven match winning streak against Selby.[164] He failed to defend his Masters title as he lost 4–6 against Murphy in his opening match of the 2023 event.[165] Robertson reached the second round of the 2023 World Championship where he lost 7–13 to Jak Jones.[166]
The first half of the 2023–24 season was difficult for Robertson, exiting early in tournaments such as the English Open and Northern Ireland Open.[167][168] He had a deeper run at the Shanghai Masters, where he reached the semi-finals, but lost the match 7–10 to Luca Brecel.[169] He did, however, record his 900th career century in September at the Wuhan Open qualifiers, becoming just the fourth player to hit this milestone.[170] After the Wuhan Open in October, Robertson revealed on social media that he was feeling homesick, so he would take an extended break at the end of the year to go home to Australia.[171] His last tournament of the year was the 2023 UK Championship, where another first-round loss (2–6 to Zhou Yuelong) meant that his streak of winning at least one title each calendar year since 2006 had ended.[172]
In the second half of the season, he made it to the semi-finals of the 2024 World Open, but he was unable to reach the final after a 5–6 loss to Ding, having lost position after scoring 53 points in the deciding frame. This meant that for the first time since 2006, Robertson fell out of the top 16 in the world rankings and had to qualify for the 2024 World Championship.[173] Robertson lost 9–10 to Jones in a final frame decider during qualifying, missing out on playing at the Crucible for the first time since 2004.[174]
Robertson reached the quarter-finals at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Masters early in the 2024–25 season, before losing to Trump 3–6.[175] He won the English Open in September, defeating Wu Yize 9–7 in the final to secure his first ranking title in more than two years and a return to the world's top 16.[176] Robertson was defeated in the first round by Trump 3–6 at the 2024 UK Championship after letting slip a 3–1 lead.[177] After slipping to seventeenth in the world rankings, Robertson did not qualify for the 2025 Masters, however he received a late call-up after O'Sullivan withdrew from the tournament.[178] Robertson recovered from 1–5 down to beat Higgins in the first round, winning five consecutive frames to remain in the competition, but was then beaten 2–6 by Murphy in their quarter-final.[179][180] Robertson won his twenty fifth ranking title at the Grand Prix. He whitewashed Bingham 10–0 in the final, becoming the first player to ever win two multi session finals without losing a frame. The result pushed Robertson back into the top 16 of the world rankings again.[181] Robertson suffered an early exit at the 2025 World Championship, losing to Chris Wakelin 8–10 in the first round. [182]
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Personal life
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Robertson was born in Melbourne, Australia, to Ian Robertson and Alison Hunter.[3] He has a younger brother, Marc Robertson, a former snooker amateur and current professional pool player.[183] Robertson attended Norwood Secondary College in Ringwood.[184] He is now based in Cambridge, England,[185] and practises at WT's Snooker and Sporting Club in the city.[186]
Robertson has two children with his Norwegian wife Mille Fjelldal, whom he met in 2008 and married in August 2021.[187] Fjelldal had been due to give birth to the couple's first child while Robertson was playing in the 2010 World Snooker Championship final,[188] but their son was not born until a few days later.[189] Robertson has spoken publicly about supporting his wife through her struggles with anxiety and depression, while also acknowledging how these issues affected his commitment to professional snooker.[190]
Robertson has been a vegan since 2014. He began to pursue a plant-based diet following advice from fellow snooker professional Peter Ebdon, as well as his own research into vegan athletes.[191]
He was an avid gamer, but gave up the hobby in 2017, believing he had a video game addiction and that it was affecting his snooker form. He revealed that he sometimes stayed up all night playing them and was very tired the following day, negatively affecting his snooker practice. Robertson described himself as "two months sober" in April 2017 and explained "I just get too hooked on them".[192][193]
Robertson is an association football fan, and supports Chelsea. He is a friend of former England and Chelsea footballer John Terry.[194] Robertson also enjoys Australian rules football and supports Collingwood.[195]
On 26 January 2025, Robertson was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.[196]
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Performance and rankings timeline
| NH / Not Held | means an event was not held. | |||
| NR / Non-Ranking Event | means an event is/was no longer a ranking event. | |||
| R / Ranking Event | means an event is/was a ranking event. | |||
| MR / Minor-Ranking Event | means an event is/was a minor-ranking event. | |||
| PA / Pro-am Event | means an event is/was a pro-am event. | |||
- It shows the ranking at the beginning of the season
- New players on the Main Tour do not have a ranking
- He was an amateur
- The event was called the Players Championship (2003/2004)
- The event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Final (2010/2011–2015/2016)
- The event was called the Grand Prix (1998/1999–2000/2001 and 2004/2005–2009/2010) and the LG Cup (2001/2002–2003/2004)
- The event was called the Jiangsu Classic (2008/2009–2009/2010)
- The event was called the China International (1998/1999)
- The event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016)
- The event was called the Irish Open (1998/1999), the European Open (2001/2002–2003/2004) and the Malta Cup (2004/2005–2007/2008)
- The event was called the General Cup International (2004/2005–2011/2012)
- The event was called the Six-red Snooker International (2008/2009) and the Six-red World Grand Prix (2009/2010)
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Career finals
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Ranking finals: 38 (25 titles)
Minor-ranking finals: 5 (4 titles)
Non-ranking finals: 12 (7 titles)
Pro-am finals: 2
Team finals: 2 (2 titles)
Amateur titles
- Australian U21 Championship – 2000, 2003
- Oceania Championship – 2000
- South Australian Open Championship – 2001
- Victorian Open Championship – 2001, 2002
- Australian Open Championship – 2002
- Fred Osborne Memorial – 2002, 2004
- Lance Pannell Classic – 2002, 2004
- Central Coast Leagues Club Classic – 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007
- IBSF World Under-21 Championship – 2003[206]
- West Coast International – 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
- Kings Australia Cup – 2006, 2008
- City of Melbourne Championship – 2008, 2009
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References
External links
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