Neil Robertson beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-9 to win the Saudi Masters, claim £500,000 in prize money and move up to third in the world rankings following a period in the wilderness
Neil Robertson says that working with a sports psychologist has helped turn his career around after he won the Saudi Masters. Robertson overcame Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-9 in the final over the weekend to bank the £500,000 prize money.
The Australian star moved up to third in the world rankings with the stunning win, which was made even more impressive by his journey. Robertson is a former world champion but missed the 2024 Crucible showpiece after failing to come through qualifying after shooting down the rankings.
He credits his comeback to a change of approach and the help of his team, which includes sports psychologist Helen Davis and coach Joe Perry. O’Sullivan has worked with psychologist Steve Peters for years and Robertson took a leaf out of his book by working with Davis.
He explained: “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.
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“They’re always thanking their team whenever they win, that’s the first people they thank is their team. That’s what I’ve managed to set up 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.”
Robertson will next travel to China, where he will play 12-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans in the last 64 of the Wuhan Open on Monday. And after winning the English Open, World Grand Prix and Saudi Arabia Masters, seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry is expecting him to continue his form.
“He’s always been a top-four player for me, and he’s back where he belongs,” Hendry said on the World Snooker Tour podcast. “There’s not a player in the world who doesn’t benefit from being a bit quicker, being positive and getting on with it.
“He messaged me, I think during the UK Championship last year, and he was up to about 31 seconds a shot. I commented that he’s at his best when he’s at 19 or 20 seconds a shot. He actually didn’t realise that he was up at those figures.
“Sometimes he does get bogged down, or he finds himself slipping into the same kind of pace if his opponent isn’t playing the same type of game. He’s a bully as a player. When he plays at his best, he imposes himself on the game.
“It is going to be really interesting to see how he pushes on. It would be easy to take his foot off the gas when he knows he’s in all the main competitions for the rest of the season. You don’t always play well. When you do get that form, it is easy to take your foot off the gas a little bit and all of a sudden your form just might go from that high that you are on.”