Robertson plays for Australia in the snooker championship final.
Will Neil Robertson be the man credited with bringing snooker to Australia? Robertson became the first Australian to reach a crucible final in snooker yesterday. The last time an Australian reached a World Championship final was 35 years ago in 1975.
Robertson, who travelled from Melbourne to play, defeated Ali Carter in the semi-finals 17-12 and is now up against Scotsman Graeme Dott. The final will take part in Sheffield today.
Robertson’s story really is an example of triumph over adversity. When his parents realised their son’s talent they scrimped and saved all their spare cash in order to support him. He left school early in order to follow his dream but reveals that he nearly gave it all up; “I came really close to quitting… I wasn’t as dedicated as I should have been.”
He travelled from Australia to the UK to take part in the World Championship in 1999 when he was just 17 years old. He recalls that he only had £500 in his pocket and had to borrow a waistcoat from a friend. It was worth it though as he reached the third qualifying round then and went on to win the World Under-21 Snooker Championship in New Zealand. However he has struggled to maintain his success.
He will now have to hope that his good recent form continues in the final of the World Championship today where he will have to play the game of his life. If he wins it would be the first time an Australian has won the snooker Championships and will no doubt inspire many an amateur player in Australia, perhaps even re-kindling the sport’s popularity Down Under.
However you could forgive him for seeming distracted today, his Norwegian girlfriend is due to give birth today. Robertson may have double celebrations if all goes well.
One downer though is that his mother, who has supported him all through his career, has not been able to see her son play. She was due to travel from Australia to support him, but the ash cloud has prevented her from travelling so his family will simply have to cheer him on from their homes.
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