Having experienced life on the main tour twice before, 23-year-old Jimmy Robertson is hoping that it will be third time lucky in 2009/10 as he looks ahead to the new season…
To read the article in full please click here to visit the website of The Argus. Jimmy said:
“I want this to be third time lucky. When I was 16 years old I got on the tour through the world junior play-offs and missed out on all the amateur tournaments.
“I went from being one of the top juniors to getting through to the pro tour and I wasn’t really ready. I just did not have the experience.
“I won my first match and then lost virtually every other one.
“I had a stale patch for three years where I was still playing but I wasn’t doing anything in terms of results.
“Then I got some coaching from Del Hill in Lincoln and he sorted me out. That season I qualified for the pro tour again but then I came back off again.
“To get on there three times tells you something but you need that run and a breakthrough. Everything needs to come together when you’re playing.
“I still feel the same as last year but, hopefully, those close matches will go my way this year.”
“So this time it is third time lucky and we will see what happens.”
“When I went on last season I had all the amateur experience I needed and felt ready but I lost too many close matches.
“If I had them, I would have stayed on the tour but you lose and you come off. It’s tough.”
“There are only six tournaments in the amateurs and I lost twice in the first round but had a win, a runner-up, semi-final, a quarter-final and won the English Amateur championship, which is double-ranking points and the big one.”
“I start in round one and will have to win four matches to get to O’Sullivan’s round. Hopefully I will be able to have a run and get through.”
“Obviously I would love to have a brilliant run in every tournament and win one, that would be perfect.
“That’s got to be your main ambition but realistically I have got to concentrate on staying on the tour and get in the top 64 or 48.
“Staying on is the first thing and then concentrating on the top 64, then top 48 and work my way up. But I would love to win the world championship and do a 147.”
“Ronnie is the best player in the world in my opinion but if you make 100 when you get to the table there is nothing he can do about it.
“Football is a team game but in snooker you’re on your own. It’s up to you.”
Jimmy’s last spell on the tour back in 2007/8 started reasonably well as he won matches in each of the three opening events, but following defeat to Judd Trump in qualifying for the Grand Prix, he was not able to win another match. As a result he finished well down the rankings in 91st place, a long way from staying on the tour.
Following a strong finish to last season however as he took the English Amateur Championship and finished top of the rankings, he is back and set to try his luck again.
Personally I have not seen him up close but to get back onto the tour for a third time shows that he is a resilient character who appears to have the ability to do well. With just six ranking events on the calendar he will find it tough to survive with the amount of starter points on offer but if he can just get into the top eight on the one-year list, hopefully he will be able to build from there.
Will Jimmy be able to keep his place on the tour? If not, who of the 21 newcomers to the tour will be able to?
Another newcomer will be Northern Ireland’s Jordan Brown who has also been speaking recently. Click here to read what he had to say to the BBC.