Neil Robertson exclusive: Table standards in China not good enough says Aussie on eve of UK Championship
Neil Robertson is hoping the pockets on the tables don't play too big at the UK Championship, after branding them "an absolute joke" at the two recent tournaments in China.
Robertson has insisted that if any records were broken at the Wuhan Open or International Championship, they should not have counted.
Those two events – won by Judd Trump and Zhang Anda respectively – have been part of a proper return to China for the World Snooker Tour this season, following the Covid pandemic. And former world champion Robertson was clearly unhappy with playing conditions in both Wuhan and Tianjin.
"The variance in the pocket size in the last couple of years has been a massive leveller in the sport. And the last two tournaments in China were an absolute joke," Robertson told Sporting Life.
"They were like club tables. I mean, I know Judd won in Wuhan, but if someone else won that tournament – and obviously the International Championship for me – those two tournaments should have massive asterisks next to them.
"If any individual record was broken, like centuries in a row or anything like that, it shouldn't even count. It's just insane. It's like the swimmers years ago when they were smashing records with those suits, it's a similar thing.
"You're watching people play all the wrong shots and they're knocking in balls down the rails. Players are missing balls under pressure but they're going in. I remember being in Wuhan on the practice tables and I was like, these pockets are just ridiculous, what is going on.
"I usually defend the pocket sizes on TV. Sometimes they can play easier than others. You only need to be a millimetre out in terms of the cut or the adjustment and it can be a difference. But those pockets I can't defend.
"The British Open was really good because the pockets were tighter. I remember talking to a table fitter at the British Open and he said he wanted to make sure the (pockets) weren't too big, which he successfully did. The table fitters are very proud of their work. The last thing they want is for balls to go in that shouldn't go in.
"There were some great matches at the British Open. There was some really high scoring by very good players, great players. But several players complained. I think they've been used to the pockets being quite big in the last few years, it was bit of a shock to the system and quite a few complained.
"It's a bit strange. I hope the UK Championship is not like those tournaments in China, I hope the pockets aren't big. It just makes safety more important. You've just got to make sure your opponent can't get in, because everyone can score now."
Responding to Robertson's comments, a WST spokesperson said: "We are very proud of our tables and we are proud of our team of incredibly talented table fitters. Conditions on the tour will always be challenging.
"Snooker tables are not designed to be moved from venue to venue, they are designed to be left in situ and allowed to settle. This will always provide the table fitters with a difficult challenge but we have a huge amount of experience in the team and they will continue to give 100 per cent in making sure that conditions are as good for the players as possible.
"We have invested huge amounts in improving our equipment and facilities and we have increased the team to help with delivering consistently good table conditions. The pockets are always cut to template and representatives from both the WPBSA and the WPBSA Players Board are present in this process and signing off the tables. We always welcome feedback from players through the right channels."
Ashes to blame for slow start to campaign?
Robertson has been one of the outstanding players of his generation, claiming the world title in 2010, along with three UK titles and two Masters crowns. He has picked up 23 ranking tournaments in all. But this past year has been ordinary by his standards. Indeed, if he doesn't win the UK Championship, which starts in York this weekend, he will lose his proud record of winning a tournament in every calendar year since 2006.
The Australian still doesn't believe there's been much wrong with his game however, and was at pains to explain that his 2023 has been characterised by setbacks and mishaps.
"I had an awful start to the year," Robertson said. "At the Masters I was hit with this awful flu. I was chugging down flu tablets just to even compete. I tried to fight as hard as I could but I was dreadful. I was a little bit embarrassed.
"Things after that didn't really happen. I remember being on the couch after losing at the Masters and getting a call from World Snooker saying that my match at the Grand Prix was being brought forward a day because (Jack) Lisowski and (Mark) Williams were playing in the semis of the Masters, one was going to be in the final and by the rules you can't play a match the day after a final.
"Not only that, they were moving it to it the night session. If you're feeling really rough, the last thing you want to do is to play at night. I really disputed it. If I wasn't chasing points I would have just withdrawn. I knew there was no chance (for me). I hadn't even been practising. I could barely get out of bed.
"But they said, well that's the decision. So they brought my match forward a day and they moved me from table one to table two, playing in front of five or ten people, no joke. I didn't start my match until about 9.30pm and I lost (to Xiao Guodong). I was absolutely raging at that decision. I thought for the current player of the season to be treated like that was a disgrace.
"We had that tournament behind closed doors (the WST Classic) and it was very uninspiring. Everything was getting worse and worse until I played in the World Championship. I played great in the first round at the Crucible. I played well against Jak Jones too, but all credit to him. I had no problems with that.
"I thought in this new season, I really need to hit the ground running. I was working really hard, I started working with Chris Henry and that was going well. But with all the hype round the Ashes my son and I were playing cricket all the time and I really strained my lower neck and back area. I couldn't play for two-and-a-half weeks. So I had to pull out of the Championship League.
"After that we had the European Masters which I had prepared great for. I flew into Germany and there was a delay taking off at Heathrow, so I missed the connection to Nuremberg from Frankfurt. I then had to wait around at the airport for two or three hours for my cue to turn up. They couldn't locate it.
"Eventually it was located around midnight and it was still at Heathrow. I had to get up first thing and get a train three hours to Nuremberg, on the day of my match. My cue eventually turned up. I had no time to prepare. It was a really rough start to the season.
"Then Shanghai went well and since then I've generally lost to players who have put in great performances. I've not done a great deal wrong."
A WST spokesperson responded to Robertson's comments about scheduling for the World Grand Prix, saying: "Players who reach the final of an event on a Sunday are given the option to move their opening match in the next tournament from Monday to Tuesday.
"We made this change to help players in that situation. Inevitably this means that other matches may need to be rescheduled but we try to keep this as convenient as possible so it is fair for all players."
Could Perry and a trip home help revive fortunes?
Robertson has now ended his brief association with coach Henry and is planning to work more closely going forward with Joe Perry, a multiple ranking event winner himself and one of Robertson's best friends in the game.
"Chris and I worked together well. I learnt a few things and I have nothing but positive things to say about Chris. But obviously the results aren't what I wanted or hoped for, so I've gone down a different path," Robertson said.
"I'm going to be working a lot more with Joe, it's something we've always wanted to do. It's really exciting. He's always said he's wanted to do it. He's not like a coach. It will be more like what Lee Walker does with Mark Williams, or Jack Trump with Judd, having someone on tour with you, making sure you're practising well, talking about matches in intervals. Maybe they can spot something that you don't think of.
"To have a companion on tour is really good. It's got to be the right person. And it's got to be someone who really knows the game."
Straight after the UK Championship, where Robertson starts his campaign on Tuesday against Zhou Yuelong, the 41-year-old will fly with his family to Australia and stay for nearly a month.
It's a trip he's been meaning to take for some time, saying: "I've not been back home for Christmas since I think 2009. Usually when I've gone home at the end of the season, everyone is working and people are busy. But people do generally have a couple of weeks off at Christmas in Australia.
"It will be good to catch up with family. I've not seen my brothers for four years. We were like best friends. It hurts, it's tough. When people went through Covid and couldn't see their close ones, that's what I experience all the time. Nobody can really understand what it's like to be from the other side of the world and competing over here."
Before his big trip, it's all about York for Robertson, where he'll be targeting a fourth success in one of the sport's most prestigious tournaments.
"I'm looking forward to it," he added. "My confidence and belief in myself is as high as ever. My practice has been going unbelievably well. I can't really do any more. The results will come, but you can't force them. You've got to be patient.
"I'm going into this tournament thinking that if I play like I have been in practice and I get going, then I've got every belief that I'll win it."
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