January 16th 2025.
Despite his quarter-final loss at the Masters, Neil Robertson remains optimistic about his game. He believes that he is on the cusp of playing what he calls "scary snooker," the kind that his opponents can't seem to stop. Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed by Shaun Murphy, who was in top form and sealed the victory with a break of 120. Murphy even managed to snooker himself on the yellow ball while attempting a 147.
But Robertson's performance was nothing to scoff at. He made breaks of 108, 79, and even 66 in the fifth frame, which he ultimately lost. Despite the defeat, he saw many positives in his game. "I really didn't do much wrong," he reflected. "In fact, there are players who would have played much worse and still won their respective quarter-finals." He gave credit where credit was due and acknowledged Murphy's skill, but he couldn't deny feeling great about his own game. "It's a shame because I truly believed I could go all the way and win it with the way I've been playing," he added.
Robertson was pleased to see his game back in top form. He described it as "aggressive, with a good tempo and rhythm." However, he also admitted that he had been playing slower than usual this season. To remedy this, he had been working with a sports psychologist to bring his pace up to par with his practice sessions. He hoped that this would allow him to unleash the "scary snooker" that he has been known for in the practice room.
He explained, "I'm trying to find a way to replicate my practice game on the table. It's something that I've never really been able to do in my career, although there have been moments. But now, I've learned how to do it with the help of my sports psychologist. It's not about forcing it, but rather finding a way to play at the same tempo that I do in practice."
Next, Robertson will be competing at the German Masters later this month. He is confident that his hard work and newfound mindset will pay off. "If I can replicate my practice form, it's truly scary snooker that my opponents won't be able to stop," he said confidently. "So rather than focusing on slowing down my heart rate by playing calmer snooker, I need to focus on playing at the same tempo as I do in practice. It's a game-changer, and I've never had that level of control in my career before."
The 42-year-old is excited about the second half of the season and believes that he has what it takes to win events. He knows that he needs to continue doing what he's been doing and not get too caught up in the rankings. "My focus should be on producing more performances like the one against Murphy, which is the kind of snooker that wins tournaments," he stated. "If I can maintain that level of play, I will have many opportunities to contend for titles this season."
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