Neil Robertson believes he is playing "better than ever". The Australian, 43, beat Belgium's Julien Leclercq 6-2 in the opening round of the UK Championship to move into the last 16. A break of 105 put him 3-1 ahead against a young opponent who was ranked 79th and had to win three qualifying matches just to get to York. Leclercq pulled it back to 3-2, but Robertson won the final three frames comfortably.
Robertson's remarkable recovery from dropping out of the world rankings in 2024 has been well-documented, with him returning to form after seeking help from sports psychologists and working on his daily routine with a coaching team.
The former world champion is now third in the world rankings and is playing some of the best snooker of his career. Robertson attributes much of his success to his new approach, saying "I have the team around me and I can really trust their voices." He also credits his sports psychologists, stating that they have completely transformed his life.
Robertson will face China's Wu Yize in the last 16.
Robertson's remarkable recovery from dropping out of the world rankings in 2024 has been well-documented, with him returning to form after seeking help from sports psychologists and working on his daily routine with a coaching team.
The former world champion is now third in the world rankings and is playing some of the best snooker of his career. Robertson attributes much of his success to his new approach, saying "I have the team around me and I can really trust their voices." He also credits his sports psychologists, stating that they have completely transformed his life.
Robertson will face China's Wu Yize in the last 16.
, Neil Robertson is on fire right now! 6-2 against Julien Leclercq was a solid start for him. And that break of 105? Mind blown 
. I've been following his journey and it's amazing to see how far he's come since dropping out of the world rankings in 2024. Working with sports psychologists and changing his daily routine must be paying off 
. He's now third in the world rankings, which is incredible. His confidence is clearly rising and I'm loving the fact that he trusts his coaching team 
. Bring it on against Wu Yize next! 
! Neil Robertson is like the Tom Brady of snooker - always coming back for more 
. I'm not saying he's got a magic wand or anything (although that would be awesome 
), but seriously, this guy's comeback story is inspiring. He was so down in the dumps last year, and now he's right back on top of the world rankings 
. His sports psychologists are like his superheroes - saving him from mental darkness one coaching session at a time 
... not that anyone's counting 
. Bring it on Robertson vs Yize - this should be good! 
. And to think he's only 43 years old, still got it 
! Definitely going to be interesting to see how he takes on Wu Yize in the next round 
, let's hope Robertson keeps his momentum going!
. I mean, it's great that he's found a new approach with his sports psychologists and coaching team... Maybe we can all learn from his example, right?
... plus he's only ranked third now, so what's next? is this some sort of strategy to get more fans or something? 
i'm not buying it just yet... still, congrats to him on making it to the last 16! 
he's on fire 
been working hard and it shows! 
i'm loving his new approach to the game 
all about trust and teamwork with his sports psychologists 
. I'm also loving how humble he is about it - the team behind him is definitely making a difference 
Newsflash, Neil: we've seen your game before. We know you can do it on your own. The question is, will you be able to sustain this form over the next few rounds?
. This could be a real test of Robertson's mettle. Can he keep his momentum going against an opponent with a strong international record? We'll have to wait and see 
.
from dropping out of the world rankings to now being top 3 
it's like he's playing "better than ever" indeed 
what a shot 
