Neil Robertson has prompt sweeping adjustments to the World Snooker Championship format and claims new guidelines must be adopted to modernise the game.
The Australian believes the standard best-of-35 frames format used within the remaining is extreme, and {that a} shorter construction would higher go well with at this time’s recreation.
“I mean, the best out of 35 is a very long match,” Robertson advised Midnite. “In today’s day and age, I think a best out of 25 is enough.”
“First to 13 – I believe it’s an ideal match. It’s over three periods.
“[For] me personally, I would probably change it to once you get to the second round, then it’s just best out of 25 for the whole way through.”
Currently, the World Championship begins with best-of-19 encounters in spherical one earlier than the format will increase to 25 frames for spherical two and the quarter-finals.
The stage that many individuals would possibly take into account altering is the semi-finals, that are performed over the best-of-33 frames however take an extended interval of time than the ultimate itself to supply winners.
The second and final day of the quarter-finals – arguably essentially the most entertaining sequence of the complete event – is adopted by a gap day to the semi-finals that usually sucks power and momentum out of the 17-day marathon.
Robertson’s thought would standardise the format and considerably scale back the general taking part in time required to win the title.
The 2010 world champion additionally raised issues about drawn-out frames the place gamers are chasing unlikely snookers, suggesting that rule adjustments might forestall matches from dragging out unnecessarily.
“I think when players need snookers, sometimes we carry on hoping for that one-in-a-hundred chance that we’ll get a free ball and the opponent will fail,” he mentioned.
“I think you have a restriction on either the time limit that they have to get the snookers, or a points threshold where if you need two snookers, then the frame is over.”
Some would possibly discover the world quantity three’s opinion considerably ironic given Robertson’s occasional tendency to get drawn into longer tactical exchanges in latest seasons – generally to the detriment of his personal probabilities of success.
The 44 yr-outdated had no points within the first spherical of the 2026 World Snooker Championship, nonetheless, as he accomplished the second round lineup on Thursday night.
He compiled breaks of 100, 81, 80, and 77 to see off the problem of qualifier Pang Junxu with a ten-6 scoreline.
“It was nervy in the first session yesterday,” he advised the World Snooker Tour. “Today I was able to dictate how the match went, and from 5-5 I played really well.”
“Pang has got one of the best safety games, but tonight my long potting was good and I played some aggressive safety to open the balls up.”
Ending the 2025/26 season because the world primary stays a slim risk, with Robertson needing to win the title whereas hoping that Judd Trump additionally loses within the final 16.
Chris Wakelin might be Robertson’s opponent within the second spherical.
(*25*)Featured photograph credit score: WST
