Neil Robertson bemoaned the table conditions at the Barbican in York after he crashed out of the UK Championship in the first round on Tuesday, losing 6-3 to world No. 1 Judd Trump after leading 3-1 at the interval. The defeat leaves the Australian player needing results to go his way elsewhere in York if he is to qualify for the Masters in January.
Neil Robertson’s hopes of qualifying for the Masters are hanging by a thread following his 6-3 defeat to world No. 1 Judd Trump after a gruelling battle in the last 32 of the UK Championship in York.
A week after overcoming Trump 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the Champion of Champions in Bolton, the three-time UK winner was left bemoaning the table conditions as a 3-1 lead slipped from his grasp.
The defeat is bad news for Robertson’s hope of retaining his spot among the top 16 seeds for the Masters at Alexandra Palace, January 12-19 live on Eurosport and discovery+, with the field finalised after the UK final concludes on Sunday evening.
This year’s Crucible finalist Jak Jones is only £150 behind Robertson in 17th place in the standings and will leapfrog the Melbourne man if he defeats Michael Holt in the last 16 on Thursday.
But the 2012 and 2022 Masters champion’s fate could be sealed before Jones takes to the table with Barry Hawkins needing a win over David Gilbert on Wednesday afternoon to knock Robertson out of contention.
Even if Jones or Hawkins both lose, Robertson faces a sweat to discover his fate for the rest of the week with Gilbert and Jack Lisowski needing to reach the final to seal their Masters spot.
2020 Masters champion Stuart Bingham and Wu Yize need to claim the £250,000 first prize to earn an invite.
Robertson was left to rue his demise in a lengthy battle with Trump after producing a 107 break in the fourth frame to lead 3-1 before Trump rolled in 126 in the seventh on his way to reeling off five straight frames.
But neither man was happy with the level of their play in a gruelling battle at the Barbican that was disrupted by a medical emergency among the crowd.
“That was as tough as I’d ever played on,” Robertson told reporters. “It was as unplayable as it gets in professional conditions.
“Being such a tough sport anyway, it can make either player look stupid.”
