Neil Robertson has withdrawn from the Northern Ireland Open after contracting what he described as a 'brutal respiratory virus' that left him bedridden for almost six days. The former world champion, who won the Saudi Arabia Masters earlier this season, was targeting his first Home Nations title in Belfast, having previously won the English, Welsh and Scottish events.
The 43-year-old Australian fell ill after returning from the Xi'an Grand Prix in China. He posted on 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 per cent a challenge and 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.'
Robertson added: '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 Nation event 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.'
His scheduled opponent, David Grace, will now receive a bye to the last 32, where he will face the winner of Zhou Yuelong versus Dylan Emery. The tournament, which runs from Sunday to next Sunday, will still feature defending champion Kyren Wilson and last year's runner-up Judd Trump, along with other top players such as Mark Selby, Zhao Xintong and John Higgins.
Robertson hopes to be fit for the International Championship in Nanjing, where he is due to face Ken Doherty on November 2. The Northern Ireland Open marks the third high-profile withdrawal after Ronnie O'Sullivan did not enter and Mark Williams pulled out earlier this week.
