Neil Robertson has become the third player to be fined at the World Snooker Championship after a costly mistake during his first-round match against Pang Junxu. The 44-year-old Australian misjudged the scoreboard and conceded a frame he could still have won, resulting in a £250 penalty.
During the second frame, trailing 57-10, Robertson missed a straightforward black and walked away from the table, telling the referee he was conceding. He mistakenly believed he was 57 points behind, when the actual deficit was only 47 points. The referee corrected him, and Robertson apologised, saying he had miscalculated.
BBC commentator and former world champion Ken Doherty highlighted the error, noting that such mistakes are rare in modern snooker. He confirmed that Robertson would be warned and fined £250 for the incident.
Robertson joins Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan, who are also facing £250 fines for skipping the mandatory media day at the Crucible. All 16 top seeds are required to attend, but both Trump and O'Sullivan were absent without a medical excuse.
Shaun Murphy commented on the absences, suggesting they could damage the players' images. He noted that while the public might perceive it negatively, the other players are not surprised by their no-shows.
