Why Neil Robertson was disappointed with UK Championship qualifying despite progressing

Neil Robertson came done UK Championship qualifying, but was disappointed with the mediocre attendance astatine the lawsuit successful Leicester.

Only the apical 16 successful the satellite spell consecutive to York for the main stages, starting connected Saturday, with the remainder of the circuit battling it retired successful qualifying to articulation them.

Robertson has slipped extracurricular the apical 16 but bushed Oliver Lines and Matthew Stevens to publication his spot astatine the Barbican, wherever helium has a stunning opening circular clash with Judd Trump.

He was delighted to progress, but was not impressed with the sparse assemblage successful Leicester, contempt a fig of superb players being connected display.

‘Qualifying for the Worlds was a small spot of a daze past play but I thought the set-up was truly good, but it’s inactive not the same,’ said Robertson.

‘Now present I conjecture I was a spot disappointed successful the crowd, I thought it would beryllium a spot bigger being the UK Championship. There weren’t excessively galore radical here, and determination were a batch of truly bully matches and a batch of fantastic players.

‘Not excessively definite wherefore due to the fact that the qualifying for the World Championship was perfectly packed it and it felt similar a existent event. Here was disappointing truthful I was truly pleased to get through.’

The Thunder from Down Under surely had a point, with the tiny arena acold from afloat connected either Judgement Day.

Robertson vs Trump is simply a sensational crippled for the past 32 and the Australian says helium expected to spot it travel retired of the hat.

‘I predicted it. I deliberation World Snooker would emotion to spot myself playing Judd oregon Ronnie truthful I afloat expected that benignant of draw,’ helium said.

Confirming determination was nary comic concern successful the draw, helium added: ‘No! It conscionable ever happens similar that.

‘I retrieve Ding [Junhui] drafting Ronnie [O’Sullivan] successful the archetypal circular of the World Championship. There’s conscionable truthful galore of these blockbuster games that look to happen.

‘I don’t deliberation there’s immoderate fiddling astir with the draw. The winners determination are World Snooker for sure.’

Robertson needed a decider to bushed Lines 6-5 successful his opener but had a overmuch much comfy evening against Stevens connected Thursday night, winning 6-2.

‘The archetypal lucifer going 5-4 down to Oli and everything was going against me,’ helium said. ‘Today I was conscionable a spot much polished and I thought I was truly bully worth for the win, I deliberation I played a truly bully lucifer each round.’

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