Neil Robertson calls for major snooker rule change as reason he went 'berserk' at British Open explained

Neil Robertson has hit out at British Open scheduling, and practice facilities in Cheltenham, following a headache experience at the Centaur.

The British Open has long been a source of snooker controversy for its chaoticism over the first few days; its random draw makes planning and scheduling difficult in Cheltenham.

Robertson, who lost his game versus Pang Junxu 4-1 after a prolonged wait until after 10pm, bashed the event, claiming: “I let it rip in the tournament office. I went berserk.”

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Neil Robertson calls for huge snooker rule change after ‘letting it rip’ at British Open

The Australian’s match-up with Pang was scheduled to be Monday evening’s second game, not before 8pm and after Chris Wakelin vs Luca Brecel, which began at 7pm.

After a lengthy battle, in which Wakelin won 4-3, Robertson’s game versus Pang did not start until after 10pm, prompting the Australian to compare the British Open to a “chook raffle.”

Speaking with Metro, the 44-year-old said: “I let it rip in the tournament office. I went berserk. It’s something that’s got to change in that event, because that’s why I called it a chook raffle.

“A chook raffle in Australia is just a completely random event, it’s just chaos. Nobody knows what’s going on,” continued Robertson.

The Australian, whose battle with ‘gaming disorder’ caused issues earlier in his snooker career, was left waiting in the dark, warm players’ lounge before his clash with Pang.

“One minute, you think you’re going to be playing in 10 minutes. And then the next thing, it’s two hours later,” continued the Australian.

Robertson took to Instagram stories shortly after losing to his Chinese competitor — their game ended around 11:45pm — and wrote: “The schedule for this comp makes it an absolute chook raffle. Seen better organisation at pro ams.”

Bizarrely, the Australian’s game wasn’t the session’s latest-finishing match, with Mark Selby’s 4-3 thriller with David Lilley ending at 12:40am.

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Neil Robertson demands shot clock rule change, slams practice table situation at British Open

“I couldn’t get on a practice table,” continued Robertson, who expressed annoyance not only for the time his match versus Pang started, but his preparation also.

“Because there was still the booking system where players who are not playing the next day or whenever have priority, because they’ve booked it. [The practice tables] are not blocked out for players that are on.

“I think half an hour is blocked out for players who are going on at 7pm, then, once that has elapsed, it’s just free game for a player who has booked. You can’t practice, so I went a few hours without even hitting a ball,” said the 44-year-old.

The Australian then drew a loose comparison between Cheltenham’s "awful scheduling" and late finishes at Grand Slam events in tennis, which Carlos Alcaraz spoke out about after the US Open.

“Scheduling is awful in Cheltenham… so many times that leads to somebody starting late. I went ballistic in the tournament office. The players would rather play at 10am, [but] there was no 10am session that day. Why are you making all these players go out late?

“You’re seeing it in tennis, as well. There’s a lot of big problems with tennis matches starting too late… Selby won 4-3, he would have finished around 12:30-1am, he’s getting back and he’s probably not sleeping until 2:30am. It’s just not right,” concluded the former world champion.

World Snooker Tour responded to Robertson’s points, who wants more organised scheduling and easier access to practice tables, stating: “We discussed these issues with Neil after the match, and explained the reasons for the scheduling.

“We always take the views of players on board and make changes where it’s practical. For example, we have added a morning session to the opening day of this event next season.”

'The Thunder', who has been a long-time advocate of shot clocks being brought into snooker, which would speed up games and solve scheduling issues, explained his vision for snooker’s future.

“We probably need to start looking at some sort of shot clock format for snooker. I think the game really needs it, but they’re very hesitant on that idea,” claimed Robertson.

“I think nobody enjoys the event for the first couple of rounds… once more space frees up, scheduling becomes a lot more predictable, and it becomes a really good event.

“It’s a great venue, conditions always play really good. It’s a shame, really,” concluded the Australian.

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