‘Things couldn't have been any worse for me' – Neil Robertson hails new team who turned snooker star's life around
Neil-y there 'Things couldn't have been any worse for me' – Neil Robertson hails new team who turned snooker star's life around
NEIL ROBERTSON has heaped praise on his new team in the wake of his stunning Saudi Arabia Masters victory.
The Aussie battled to a narrow 10-9 victory in a fantastic final against snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan.
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Australian snooker star Neil Robertson has given credit to his 'life-changing' team
Credit: Getty
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The former world champ beat Ronnie O'Sullivan to win the Saudi Arabia Masters at the weekend
Credit: Getty
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The 43-year-old netted the tournament's substantial £500,000 prize and climbed to third in the WST snooker rankings, leapfrogging his final opponent to slot in below second-place Kyren Wilson.
He said: "This is a huge rebound from right at the bottom.
"Things couldn't have been any worse for me 18 months ago. So to be able to come back the way I have I think this is a feel good story."
It has been a tough run for the former world champion in recent years.
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RON IT GOES Ronnie O'Sullivan, 49, pulls out of Wuhan Open due to medical reasons
He missed tournaments and slipped down the rankings in 2023, culminating in him missing the 2024 world championships and being forced to play in qualifiers and losing.
To go from a fading star to the winner of one of the biggest prize pots in professional snooker has been quite the turnaround.
It is a resurgence that the Thunder from Down Under attributes in part to his new team, featuring sports psychologist Helen Davis and coach Joe Perry.
He continued: "I always thought I was really strong mentally, which I am, but I think when you see an actual specialist, a sports psychologist, and you look at tennis players and golfers...
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"They're always thanking their team whenever they win, that's the first people they thank is their team.
"That's what I've managed to set up with Helen Davis, who's worked with Wimbledon champions, and with Joe [Perry].
Neil Robertson shows his joy holding trophy at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters
"At the start of the summer the three of us were on a Zoom call and we talked for about two hours about what is the plan for the season, the mindset, the style of play, what we want to achieve and to see it all come together so quickly is amazing.
"Helen has just transformed my life, she really has."
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Winning any major tournament is a statement, but doing so against a marauding O'Sullivan is a particularly emphatic way to start the snooker season.
Whether it be his team or newfound confidence to blame, Robertson has clearly reinstated himself as a force to be reckoned with this year.
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Robertson revealed the details of a zoom call that changed his career Neil-y there 'Things couldn't have been any worse for me' – Neil Robertson hails new team who turned snooker star's life around NEIL ROBERTSON has heaped praise on his new team in the wake of his stunning Saudi Arabia Masters victory. The Aussie battled to a narrow 10-9 victory in a fantastic final against snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan. 2 Australian snooker star Neil Robertson has given credit to his 'life-changing' team Credit: Getty 2 The former world champ beat Ronnie O'Sullivan to win the Saudi Arabia Masters at the weekend Credit: Getty Advertisement The 43-year-old netted the tournament's substantial £500,000 prize and climbed to third in the WST snooker rankings, leapfrogging his final opponent to slot in below second-place Kyren Wilson. He said: "This is a huge rebound from right at the bottom. "Things couldn't have been any worse for me 18 months ago. So to be able to come back the way I have I think this is a feel good story." It has been a tough run for the former world champion in recent years. Advertisement READ MORE ON SNOOKER RON IT GOES Ronnie O'Sullivan, 49, pulls out of Wuhan Open due to medical reasons He missed tournaments and slipped down the rankings in 2023, culminating in him missing the 2024 world championships and being forced to play in qualifiers and losing. To go from a fading star to the winner of one of the biggest prize pots in professional snooker has been quite the turnaround. It is a resurgence that the Thunder from Down Under attributes in part to his new team, featuring sports psychologist Helen Davis and coach Joe Perry. He continued: "I always thought I was really strong mentally, which I am, but I think when you see an actual specialist, a sports psychologist, and you look at tennis players and golfers... Advertisement CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "They're always thanking their team whenever they win, that's the first people they thank is their team. "That's what I've managed to set up with Helen Davis, who's worked with Wimbledon champions, and with Joe [Perry]. Neil Robertson shows his joy holding trophy at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters "At the start of the summer the three of us were on a Zoom call and we talked for about two hours about what is the plan for the season, the mindset, the style of play, what we want to achieve and to see it all come together so quickly is amazing. "Helen has just transformed my life, she really has." Advertisement Winning any major tournament is a statement, but doing so against a marauding O'Sullivan is a particularly emphatic way to start the snooker season. Whether it be his team or newfound confidence to blame, Robertson has clearly reinstated himself as a force to be reckoned with this year.
