Neil Robertson On Masters Title Defence And The Match-Fixing Cloud Over Snooker

The Masters champion is back to defend his crown...
18:00, 07 Jan 2023

Neil Robertson insists that the Tour Championships, with its elite and in-form field of the eight best players  of the season and matches all over longer distance, fully deserves to be added to snooker’s select group of Major titles. 

The Australian is all set for the defence of his Masters crown at Alexandra Palace on Sunday, where he opens up in arguably the tie of the first round against another former winner in Shaun Murphy.  

The Masters, with its invited field of the 16 top-ranked players in the world, remains one of three traditional ‘Triple Crown’ titles all shown on the BBC, along with the World Championship and the UK Championship. 

But world No3 Robertson, 40, reckons new tournaments have proved their worth and that the Tour Championships merits being a fourth Major, bringing snooker into line with tennis and golf. 

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Robertson, who came through the Masters draw in such thrilling fashion 12 months ago, said: “The Masters is one of the three Majors, so I am delighted to have won it twice – but for me the Tour Championship should now be included as a fourth Major. 

“It is the top eight in the world on the one-year list, so in the best form. It is played on a single table – and I think it is actually the second biggest now. 

“The UK Championship was better this season with the set-up and fewer players at the venue. But the best eight in the world, best of 19…apart from the worlds, the Tour Championships is the hardest to win. 

“You are playing usually guys that have won one, two or three events or even more to qualify. I am very proud to have won that twice. And the Champion of Champions is very big now as well, that is not far off being a fifth in my view.” 

Although talking about the match-fixing investigation that has seen 10 Chinese players suspended and Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao missing from the Masters field is the last thing Robertson would ideally like to be doing, he knows the issue is huge for the game and cannot be ducked. 

Robertson said: ““It’s far from ideal – and the most important thing to get to the bottom of is how this has actually all happened, and I trust the investigation will do that. 

“We are waiting to see which of the 10 if any will be charged, and we don’t know the seriousness of each individual case. So right now we are guessing. 

“And as the cases are dealt with, we need to find out how so many came to be involved, that there was enough evidence to suspend them. Are there even sinister organisations involved? 

“Are they getting enough education? I know they get some. But they all have to know this is illegal, is not just a slap on the wrist, and could wreck their careers. 

“I am getting asked a lot about it a lot, and more on Sunday I’m sure. Obviously I’d rather not be talking about it, and only about the defence of my title. 

“But if you are a top player and one that has been around a while and is looked up to, you have to address it and not be afraid of the questions. It is very important, and I’ll say what I think.” 

Chelsea fanatic Robertson was also shocked by the sad news of the death of former Blues player and manager Gianluca Vialli. He said: “When I first started watching them he was part of the new era, after Glenn Hoddle and Ruud Gullit, and along with Zola and Di Matteo. They were very exciting times for Chelsea, building a new team with overseas players and changing their style. It is very sad.” 

But on a far happier note, Robertson is delighted to be back in north London where last year provided one of the event’s most thrilling moments in its long and proud history in his semi-final against Mark Williams. 

Robertson, who went on to beat Barry Hawkins in the final, needed two snookers against Williams in the decider with just two reds left. But in a frenzied atmosphere at now the most raucous arena on tour, he somehow won 6-5 on the final black. 

Robertson said: “The atmospheres in the tournament is the best I have ever experienced in snooker and obviously a lot of people will remember the semi-final between me and Mark Williams. 

“After a match like that you begin to think ‘If I can come back from that, I can come back from anything’. Maybe it also sends a message to opponents, that you are never beaten and very hard to shake off. And you yourself can carry that never-say-die attitude thought to your next match.  

“Once you have gone to all that effort to get the snookers, you just don’t want to lose. But when the pressure suddenly reverses and it’s like ‘I can win now’, it is easy to panic and you have to stay calm. And then when you come through a match like that that feels like a final, you have to re-set for the actual final so it isn’t all for nothing. 

“That Masters is one of my greatest achievements, because I came back from the dead. A strange thing was that a couple of days before I had been watching some old footage on Youtube, and caught the famous final between Stephen Hendry and Mike Hallett. 

“Hallett led 8-2 – and then had so many chances to win. And I remember thinking ‘I wish I could win one like that’. Hendry completely came back from the dead to win 9-8, and then funnily enough I did something similar.” 

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