Neil Robertson was visibly frustrated despite securing a comfortable victory over Jiang Jun in the second round of the 2026 International Championship in China.
The Australian produced a 6-2 win to advance to the last 16, where he was scheduled to face Wang Xinbo. However, rather than celebrating his performance, Robertson appeared unhappy with several mistakes that prevented him from producing an even more impressive display.
One of his biggest frustrations came in the seventh frame, when he missed an opportunity to register a second century break of the match. Having already compiled a century in the fourth frame, Robertson was well placed to reach three figures again but lost control of the cue ball and subsequently missed a difficult long pink.
TNT Sports commentator Phil Yates highlighted the Australian’s disappointment, explaining that Robertson was determined to complete another century despite already holding an 82-point advantage in the frame.
Yates observed that Robertson was particularly annoyed after failing to convert the opportunity, although he remained just one frame away from victory.
The former world champion encountered another century-break setback in the final frame. This time, he missed a black into the middle pocket that would have taken his break beyond 100 points. He eventually finished with a 94, completing a strong overall performance despite missing out on two potential centuries.
Yates acknowledged that Robertson was understandably pleased with the victory but remained irritated by the missed opportunities. He also suggested that the Australian would have further chances to produce big breaks as the tournament progressed.
However, Robertson’s campaign would end in disappointment in the following round, as Wang Xinbo recovered to secure a 6-4 victory. The Australian found himself chasing the match for much of the encounter before eventually suffering elimination.
The result came amid a period of outspoken comments from Robertson, who recently defended his position in the world rankings following criticism from Judd Trump.
Trump had suggested that Robertson’s ranking had been inflated by his victory at the Saudi Arabian Masters, an argument the Australian strongly rejected.
Speaking to ‘The Metro’, Robertson dismissed the criticism, insisting he no longer pays much attention to negative opinions about his standing in the sport.
He compared the situation to debates surrounding sporting greats such as Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Tom Brady.
Robertson argued that many people express strong opinions about athletes without having sufficient knowledge of their respective sports. He added that he had become increasingly comfortable ignoring such criticism.
The 2010 world champion also explained that his competitive personality is sometimes mistaken for arrogance away from the snooker table.
Recalling conversations with strangers at golf driving ranges, Robertson said people had occasionally admitted that they expected him to be arrogant because of how he appeared on television, only to discover that he was friendly in person.
He believes athletes are frequently judged by their behaviour in highly competitive environments rather than their personalities outside them.
Using heavyweight boxing as an example, Robertson suggested that judging fighters solely by their conduct inside the ring would create an unfair impression of who they are as individuals.
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