September 12th 2024.
Last week, Jimmy Robertson made it to the quarter-finals of the seventh ranking tournament in Riyadh. This has been a very impressive season for him, with some notable victories under his belt. However, just a few months ago, he was struggling to find part-time work due to an essential tremor that was affecting his performance in snooker.
Despite narrowly losing to world champion Kyren Wilson in the last 16 of the Xi'an Grand Prix, Robertson was able to bounce back and defeat Wilson in the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters. He had already beaten John Higgins before ousting Wilson and securing a spot in the quarter-finals of the new event in Riyadh. Though he ultimately lost 6-0 to Mark Williams, Robertson was proud of his performance and the confidence he gained from it.
In an interview with The Agency, Robertson expressed his disappointment with the end result but acknowledged the progress he has made. "If someone had told me at the beginning of the tournament that I would make it to the quarter-finals, I would have taken it. Especially considering the struggles I've faced in the past two years," he shared.
Robertson has had a strong start to the season, which is a stark contrast to his performance in the 2021-22 season. He attributes this change to the essential tremor in his arms, which has become more significant over the past two years. "The best way to explain it is like waking up after a night of heavy drinking, feeling shaky and achy. Or like after a heavy weightlifting session, except it's happening while I'm playing snooker. It's a horrible feeling," Robertson explained.
Though the tremors have been a problem for most of his career, they have worsened in recent years. Robertson has sought medical help and was diagnosed with an essential tremor that he will have to manage for the rest of his life. "It's not going to get any better, but luckily it's not going to escalate into something more serious. It's just something I have to learn to manage," he shared.
Managing the tremors is not an easy task, as Robertson's mind tends to focus on them while playing, causing them to become worse. "Sometimes I just want to disappear because it's so awful. But in the last few tournaments, I've been able to push it to the back of my mind and not let it affect my game," he said.
Despite the challenges he faces, Robertson remains determined to continue playing snooker and hopes to win another tournament in the future. "I've won one before, and I would love to win another. It's been tough dealing with this off the table, but I'm slowly gaining my confidence back. It was a good week for me," he shared.
Robertson's struggles with the tremors have been ongoing for many years, but with determination and a positive mindset, he continues to pursue his passion for snooker. He hopes to inspire others who may be facing similar challenges and encourages them to never give up on their dreams.
Last week, Jimmy Robertson made it to the quarter-finals of a prestigious snooker tournament in Riyadh, securing a seventh ranking quarter-final in his career. This season, the 38-year-old has already scored some impressive wins, but it wasn't long ago that he was struggling to find part-time work due to an essential tremor that was hindering his snooker career.
In the last 16 of the Xi'an Grand Prix, Robertson put up a good fight against world champion Kyren Wilson, but ultimately lost by a narrow margin. However, he was able to redeem himself at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters by defeating Wilson and moving on to the quarter-finals. Robertson had already taken down another world champion, John Higgins, earlier in the tournament.
Although his run in Riyadh ended with a 6-0 loss to Mark Williams, Robertson was satisfied with his performance. He had faced tough challenges and came out victorious, earning a decent prize of £50,000. Most importantly, his confidence had been restored after a difficult period, making it a great start to the season for him. Reflecting on his experience, Robertson said, "It was a really disappointing end to the week against Mark, but at the start, if someone had told me I'd reach the quarter-finals, I would have taken it. Considering where I've been in the last two years, I'm happy with my performance."
Robertson had a successful 2021-22 season, but since then, he has struggled to achieve similar results. This can be attributed to a tremor in his arms, which has worsened over the past two years. Describing the sensation, Robertson said, "The best way I can explain it, when it's at its worst, is like you've had a heavy night out and no sleep. You wake up and you're all shaky and achy. Or you've done a heavy weights session at the gym and your arms are gone. Playing snooker with shaky arms, wobbling all over, it's horrible."
However, this is not a new issue for Robertson. He has been dealing with shaking for most of his career, but it has become more significant in recent years. The shaking is less troublesome when he can keep his mind off the issue, but that is easier said than done. "I've had the shakes for years," he shared. "Maybe 15 years ago, my arms used to shake and my head and neck used to shake. I went to the doctors, and they said it could be dystonia. It gradually went away, but my arms never felt 100 per cent for many years."
When things got worse for Robertson, he decided to see a neurologist. It was then that he was diagnosed with an essential tremor, which cannot be cured but can be managed. Robertson explained, "It's an essential tremor, and I've been told it's not going to get any better, and you can't get rid of it. It's just something you've got, but it's also not going to escalate into something more serious. It's just a case of trying to manage it as best I can."
Despite his condition, Robertson remains determined to succeed in snooker. He admits that some days are harder than others, but he tries not to let it affect his game. "Naturally, when I'm struggling, all my brain thinks about is what's going on with my arms, and then it gets worse and worse. Sometimes you want the ground to swallow you up; it's awful," he shared. "But I've been more confident in the last couple of tournaments, and I don't think about what's going on with my arms, and it's not such a big issue." Robertson acknowledges that his tremor will always be there, but he is learning to manage it and not let it stand in the way of his passion for snooker.
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