The start of the Riga Masters next week is a timely reminder that is now a year since Neil Robertson landed his last piece of silverware.
The Thunder from Down Under will be the first to admit that last season was not one of his best. After his victory in Latvia which saw him pick up the title for the loss of just eight frames in his seven matches, he went on to endure a somewhat disappointing and frustrating campaign.
His last semi-final appearance was back in October when he was comfortably beaten 6-0 by Ronnie O’Sullivan in the European Masters in Bucharest. And more alarmingly, he managed a total of just two wins in the three major BBC events.
To put this dip in form into perspective when compared against the very own high standards he sets himself, you only have to rewind a matter of 18 months.
The Australian had just lifted the Champions of Champions title in Coventry and quickly followed it up with triumph at the UK Championship including a 6-0 drubbing of Mark Selby in the semi-final at a time when the two were fairly unanimously regarded as the two finest players in the world.
These consecutive titles were a real statement of intent from Robertson and a demonstration to many that he was at the peak of his powers. But since then, Selby has gone about his task of adding a UK title and two World Championship wins to his tally. He’s now the runaway world number one, while Robertson has struggled to emulate this form and is now down to number seven in the rankings.
More than just a game
Those who were searching long and hard to find an explanation for Robertson’s regression were given all the answers at the most recent World Championship.
Robertson was open and candid with the press as he lifted the lid on his addiction to computer games which was derailing his form on the table.
He admitted that he would sometimes spend all night playing games online including ‘World of Warcraft’ and ‘League of Legends’.
The issue got so bad that when connectivity issues meant he was unable to logon to continue team games when competing in snooker tournaments in China, he said he grew frustrated and angry, desperate to return home.
It appears his distractions from snooker were sizeable.
Back to business
A new season means Robertson has a chance to wipe the slate clean and start competing for silverware again.
The Australian is most renowned for being an explosive attacking force on the table, but in truth he actually possesses one of the best all-round games among the top players.
If you were to devise a checklist of all the attributes needed to be a great champion, Neil has pretty much all of them on the table. If he can apply himself off the table again, that’s when he will become dangerous again.
It’s surprising to think that it’s been seven years since he landed his first and only Crucible title. But if he can find the hunger for the fight, there’s no doubt he has what it takes to win more titles.
A return to Riga could be the catalyst…
