NEIL ROBERTSON has explained his mysterious late withdrawal from the Scottish Open is down to a lingering injury.
The Aussie would have been one of the biggest names in the tournament, but
Fans had no idea Robertson has been carrying this injury with himCredit: PA
After coming so close in the UK Championship, Robertson decided to take some timeCredit: PA
Robertson, 43, took to X to explain his absence.
“I have strained my piriformis and injured my disc.
“Been playing with discomfort for the last few comps. Making sure I’m right for the new year with treatment.”
The piriformis is a muscle in the buttock; with piriformis syndrome, Robertson could find himself in a lot of trouble with muscle spasms and strains.
He was one of a quartet of withdrawals shortly before the tournament began, along with Mark Williams, Jak Jones and Robert Milkins.
The Aussie, 43, has been in good form, too. All the more impressive knowing what he has been dealing with.
He made it to the UK Championship semi-finals earlier this month, where he was beaten by world No.1 Judd Trump.
It was only two weeks ago during that tournament that Robertson felt like he was playing ‘better than ever’.
Robertson said: “When I didn’t qualify for the World Championship, I thought I had to do something.
“I was practising well, just not getting results so I looked up sports psychologists in the Cambridge area.
“From my first meeting it changed my views on what I was doing and made me realise I could be doing things so much better.
“I had always been my own sports psychologist. I had started to think I could be back in Australia more and I could maybe miss a couple of events and was getting homesick – and that allowed me to lose focus.
“I have the team around me and I can really trust their voices. It’s about setting up the daily, weekly and monthly structure so when you set a plan and stick to it, you go into all the tournaments prepared.
Robertson has been world number one four times in his careerCredit: Getty
“I don’t think enough players structure a team around them like other sports do, but why not? You see [Novak] Djokovic win a [tennis] Grand Slam and he is thanking several people as part of his team and we tried to do the same.
“I’m definitely playing better than I ever have, this season has gone brilliantly and I’m just enjoyed it.”
Robertson has had four spells as world number one and will have his eye on being fully fit for the 2026 Masters, which kicks off on January 11.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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