Neil Robertson is out of the 2025 Northern Ireland Open before taking a shot after being forced to withdraw through illness.
The Australian was due to face David Grace in the last 64 with the venue stages of the season’s seventh ranking event commencing on Sunday in Belfast.
It’s a disappointing blow for both Robertson and the tournament itself, with the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters champion joining a growing list of high-profile absentees.
It also prevents the Thunder from Down Under from launching his bid to complete the Home Nations Series set.
Robertson has previously won the three other tournaments that help to make up the Home Nations Series on the calendar – the Welsh Open, the English Open, and the Scottish Open.
But the 2010 world champion has been bed ridden for the best part of a week after picking up a virus, duly taking the decision to skip the upcoming week’s action entirely.
“Hey guys,” Neil Robertson wrote on social media platform X. “After coming back from China, I picked up a brutal respiratory virus in Xi’an that didn’t hit me until Sunday.”
“It made breathing anything above 40% a challenge and [I was] bed ridden for almost six days.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it and can quite honestly say it was one of the worst experiences I’ve gone through.
“I’m on the mend now but still quite a way to go, and for this reason I had no choice but to withdraw from Northern Ireland.
“It’s the only Home Nations events I haven’t won so it was high on my agenda this season. It’s a shame to miss it but sadly had no choice.”
Missing the Northern Ireland Open won’t really have a huge impact on Robertson’s season given his strong start to the campaign already.
The Melbourne man captured the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters crown, taking home the mega £500,000 champion’s cheque in the process.
That has helped the 43 year-old take the front in the one-year rankings, guaranteeing his qualification for big-money events later in the season like the World Grand Prix and the Tour Championship.
Robertson’s scheduled opponent Grace, who came through qualifying a month ago in Leicester with victories over Bai Yulu and Gong Chenzhi, will receive a bye through to the last 32.
It’s the latest setback for the 2025 Northern Ireland Open with several other top-ranked names already absent from the field.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, Ding Junhui, and Xiao Guodong decided against entering the tournament altogether, while last week’s Xi’an Grand Prix champion Mark Williams has also withdrawn.
The Welshman memorably won the Northern Ireland Open back in 2017 to end a six-year ranking event barren spell on the main tour.
Even so, there are plenty of big names still involved with the likes of reigning champion Kyren Wilson, world champion Zhao Xintong, and world number one Judd Trump set to participate.
The latter, who is way down at number 34 on the one-year ranking list after an indifferent spell of form, is a big fan of the event and has won it four times in the past.
Another multiple former champion is home favourite Mark Allen, who will begin his quest to claim the Alex Higgins Trophy for a third time against Robert Milkins.
With Neil Robertson a no-show, meanwhile, there is an opportunity for Mark Selby to become the first player to complete the Home Nations Series set instead.
The four-time world champion has slipped down to number ten in the world rankings and has missed out on an invitation to the lucrative Riyadh Season Snooker Championship as a result.
But Selby, whose first match is against Ian Burns, boasts a brace of titles at each of the English, Scottish, and Welsh Opens so will be keen on adding the fourth silverware from the set to his cabinet as well.
Elsewhere, the likes of Shaun Murphy, John Higgins, Barry Hawkins, and Gary Wilson are all going to be back on the baize in Belfast.
For more information ahead of the 2025 Northern Ireland Open, including the draw for the last 64 and details on how to watch the tournament, click here.
Featured photo credit: WST
Myself and the Racing Post had tipped Robertson to go all the way in Belfast this week. I’m glad he’s on the mend, though.