AWAY YOU PRO
Amateur sends champ packing
UK CHAMPION Neil Robertson’s title defence was ended by an amateur.
The Australian star suffered the same fate as Shaun Murphy as Robertson was beaten 6-2 by John Astley.
Former champ Murphy had suggested amateurs should be banned after his 6-5 exit to Si Jiahui on the opening day.
Multiple champions Robertson, Mark Selby and Mark Williams all backed Murphy’s point of view.
Before his match with Gateshead amateur Astley, defending champion Robertson said: “If you’re playing an old experienced pro, maybe from the UK who has amateur status, if you get beat you probably have to play pretty ordinary.
“But some of these Chinese boys may be amateurs but are as good as anybody in the top 50 in the world.
“I totally get where Shaun’s coming from. A similar thing happened with James Cahill when he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in the last 32 of the World Championship. The amateurs are under a totally different pressure, where there’s no pressure because they’re not playing for ranking points or anything like that.
“They’ve basically got a free hit at a pro and I agree with what Shaun’s saying because it’s dangerous.
“Because he’s so highly ranked he’d have played a low-ranked pro and he certainly wouldn’t have lost. On this occasion he’s played someone who’s quite good so I understand where he’s coming from.”
Those comments came back to bite him as he was stunned by former world No.65 Astley, who sometimes turns his hand to acting to help make ends meet.
The 32-year-old has had two separate spells on the pro circuit and lost his tour card in May – just like Chinese teenager Jiahui.
Graeme Dott dazzled to a convincing 6-3 victory over England’s Jamie O’Neill.
The Scot knocked in breaks of 132, 131, 109 and 66 to secure his first win at a main ranking-event venue this season.
World No.18 Dott said: “I’m playing a lot better than my results are suggesting. I’m not winning enough matches but I don’t think my form’s that bad.
“I’m just a bit unlucky that everyone I’m playing is playing pretty well. I’m just going through a bit of a bad run. Hopefully it can end at the UK.”