Neil Robertson 'livid' and 'furious' despite winning in £175k snooker tournament

The Aussie star cut a frustrated figure during a recent outing.

Neil Robertson was eventually knocked out in the third round (Image: Getty)

Neil Robertson was spitting feathers during his second-round clash at the International Championship in China - a tournament where the winner banks £175,000. Robertson had full control of his match against Jiang Jun, and ran out an impressive 6-2 winner during what was a potential banana-skin encounter.

The Aussie set up a meeting with Wang Xinbo in the next round, but after leaving the table, Robertson was visibly frustrated. It stemmed from him feeling that the standard of his play was below par, with sloppy errors riling him up.

They included a moment in the seventh frame when he missed the opportunity to record a century, having already knocked one out in the fourth. With the frame already won, Robertson lost the cue ball and left himself a long pink that didn’t go in.

TNT Sports commentator Phil Yates said: "He’s determined to make another century. Look how annoyed he is here - that he’s lost the run of the white....82-0 up by the way, but he wants a century.”

After Robertson missed the pink, he continued: “He’s livid, being 5-2 up with an 82 break. He wanted the century but the main thing is, of course, the frame, and Neil Robertson, although he’s furious, is a frame from victory."

In the final frame of the match, Robertson once again butchered an attempt for a century break. This time it involved missing a pot into the middle on the black that would have brought up the triple-figure break.

Yates said: "He's annoyed but happy to win of course. A 94 to finish. It was a strong performance from Neil Robertson. He could have a couple more centuries there but he’s got chances for more this week."

Neil Robertson cut a frustrated figure (Image: Getty)

There would be more frustration later in the week, given Robertson lost his next match against Xinbo. The former world champion was constantly fighting an uphill battle, with Xinbo taking the match 6-4.

It’s been a spiky few weeks for Robertson, who last month hit out at criticisms over his lofty position in the world rankings. Judd Trump had suggested his position was skewed by a win at the Saudi Arabian Masters - something Robertson denied.

He told The Metro: “I don’t really take too much notice. I used to a few years ago, but I see certain topics being discussed…I don’t know, say Hendry or Ronnie or Messi or Ronaldo, the Jordan-LeBron debate or Tom Brady and all that.

“You see some of the comments and people have got no idea. It’s actually a big relief to see that because it’s other sports where this exists too, where you just get completely clueless opinions from people that have absolutely no idea. I’m completely immune to it all now. People are going to have their opinions. That’s just sort of how it goes, you know?”

He added: “It happens a lot around golf,’ he said. ‘I’ll be at the driving range and I could be talking to a complete stranger for 10 minutes and they’re like, ‘Wow, you’re actually really nice person. Whenever I’ve seen you on TV, I thought you were arrogant!’

“People are judging a personality based on when you’re in a really competitive environment. We’re just normal people.

"I think you get judged too much on how you are in the arena. If you were to judge every heavyweight boxer on how they are in the ring, you probably wouldn’t like too many of them.”