World Snooker Championship star opens up about ‘horrendous' experience before Crucible

Wales Online

27-05-2025

World Snooker Championship star opens up about 'horrendous' experience before Crucible
Former World Snooker Champions Neil Robertson and Stephen Hendry have both had to go through the Judgement Day qualifying round in their careers
Neil Robertson detailed his "horrific" experience on Judgement Day
(Image: Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images )
Neil Robertson revealed his "horrendous" experience at attempting to qualify for the World Snooker Championship with fellow snooker icon Stephen Hendry.
The Australian provided a behind-the-scenes look into the gruelling final qualifying round, known as Judgement Day, where 32 players compete for a coveted spot in the main draw against one of the 16 seeded players.
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To reach this stage, snooker stars must endure three initial rounds, culminating in the high-stakes Judgement Day, just days before the main tournament commences.
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After slipping out of the top 16 in the world rankings in 2024 following a semi-final loss at the World Open, Robertson faced the daunting task of navigating the qualifying rounds for the first time since 2006.
His Judgement Day encounter ended in heartbreak, as he suffered a 10-9 defeat to Jamie Jones, marking his first absence from the major tournament draw in 20 years.
During an appearance on Hendry's Cue Tips YouTube channel, Robertson reflected on the growing popularity of Judgement Day, which Hendry noted had "become quite a big thing".
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The 43-year-old said: "It was horrendous to be a part of last year, as much as I was trying to talk it down and just be like, 'Oh yeah it's [fine].'
Robertson discussed the concept of Judgement Day with Stephen Hendry
(Image: @stephenhendryscuetips/YOUTUBE )
"It's just absolutely horrific because the players there, you can just sense their desperation, of everyone around you, and when I was there last year, all the players were just looking at me like, 'Oh my god, what are you even doing here.'"
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Hendry shared his own experience of Judgement Day from when he first retired in 2012, noting that the final qualifying round "wasn't built up like it is now".
The Scotsman triumphed over Yu Delu 10-6 in the fourth round that year, but declared his first retirement from snooker after a loss to Stephen Maguire in the quarter-finals.
Robertson did commend the organisation of Judgement Day for its professionalism, suggesting that it provides a good warm-up for the main event.
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Neil Robertson opened up about his experience on Judgement Day
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He added: "In fairness, they've actually done a great job, they've set it up like basically almost like a venue. I don't know if you've seen it?
"It's set up open, like a main venue now so tables one and two at the qualifiers for the World Championships, you actually feel as though you are playing at a venue – obviously just without the live TV cameras."
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By the time of the 2025 World Championship, Robertson had climbed back into the top 16 of the overall rankings, allowing him to bypass Judgement Day. However, the former world No. 1 was knocked out early by Chris Wakelin, who beat him 10-8 in the first round.
Zhao Xintong triumphed over Mark Williams in the final, making him the first World Champion from China, while Robertson didn't make it past the second round of the major tournament for the fourth consecutive year.