Neil Robertson is back at the top of snooker after feeling that things could not get much worse just 18 months ago and he credits a transformative decision for his resurgence.
The Thunder from Down Under edged Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-9 to win a brilliant Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters final on Saturday in Jeddah.
After building a substantial lead at 7-2, Robertson found himself 9-8 down, before forcing a decider and making a good break to down the seven-time world champ.
That saw the Australian pocket the £500,000 top prize and shoot up to number three in the world rankings after a fine week which also saw him beat the likes of Mark Selby and Ali Carter.
It is a far cry from just last year when he missed out on a trip to the Crucible after falling out of the top 16 in the rankings and losing in World Championship qualifying.
‘This is a huge rebound from right at the bottom,’ Robertson said on Sunday night. ‘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.’
Given the context of the victory and who it was against, Robertson reckons it is the finest of his career, and he is sure it could not have happened without the new team he has set up of sports psychologist Helen Davis and coach, mentor and friend Joe Perry.
The 43-year-old especially heaped praise on Davis, who he started working with last season, as life-changing.
‘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, they’re always thanking their team whenever they win you know that’s the first people they thank is their team,’ he said.
‘That’s what I’ve managed to set up with with Helen Davis, who’s worked with Wimbledon champions, and with Joe.
‘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. The first meeting with her I was just like: “Wow I really want to do!”‘
Robertson has also been working on his fitness, which he feels helped him over the line on Sunday after O’Sullivan bounced back from 7-2 behind to draw level at 7-7 and then the match went all the way to a deciding frame.
‘Physically I’m in the best physical shape I’ve ever been in,’ he said. ‘I lose that final all day long last year because I wasn’t.
‘Even though I had improved a lot in a lot of things I still wasn’t physically where I’m at. Where I’m at now is really strong, I didn’t feel tired at all or at any point this week and that’s probably the first time I think I’ve won an event where that didn’t happen.’
Back among the very elite of the game, questions will again be asked of Robertson’s Crucible credentials as he has not been to the World Championship final since he won the title in 2010.
The Saudi Arabia Masters was Robertson’s 26th ranking title so his relatively poor record in Sheffield is confusing and he admits doubts had crept in over whether he could overcome it.
‘I’m not obsessed about winning another world title as probably I have been the last six or seven years but this was the type of win that tells me within myself I can definitely do it,’ he said. ‘There has been sort of some doubts.
‘But to beat the players that I have this week, to beat Ronnie in a final when he comes back at you like that. I’ve never experienced anything like that before in my life.’
The brilliant final was played between two players who have the utmost respect for each other and while O’Sullivan was obviously disappointed to lose, he does wish Robertson every success.
‘He calls me pretty frequently,’ Robertson said of the Rocket. ‘He wants to see me win more world titles and more tournaments, he really wants to see me do well. To have that kind of relationship with him is incredibly special.
‘He’s one of the inspirations for me. Growing up as a kid there’s no way I would have thought as a 14 or 15 year old that I’ll be competing against Ronnie in major finals or I’ll be where I am today 30 years later.
‘It’s got to go down as one of the greatest finals of all time. To be a part of that and to be on the right side of it as well.
‘I also believe if he’s playing anyone else in the world then he probably wins today. I think from 7-2 to 7-7. I’m not too sure…maybe Judd [Trump] or Kyren [Wilson] could possibly withstand that
‘To be able to withstand the pressure and to be the first person who stood up to him this week when he’s come back like an absolute freight train, that’s more pleasing than if I went on to win the match 10-4 or 10-5. To win it in this this way from 9-8 down and the two breaks I made the last two frames, just amazing.’