NEIL ROBERTSON has brilliantly asked rival Judd Trump to “remove the curse” he claims has been placed on him.
Australian Robertson, 42, beat Trump 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the Champion of Champions last week.
Following Trump’s loss, he claimed he was “very unlucky” to lose to Robertson and insisted “Neil knows that he didn’t deserve to win like that”.
But it is 2010 world champion Robertson whose luck has gone missing since then.
The Aussie was eliminated 6-2 in the semi-finals by eventual champion Mark Williams.
Then, on Tuesday night, he survived a major scare in UK Championship qualifying as he came from 5-4 behind to beat world No81 Oliver Lines 6-5.
Robertson will now face Matthew Stevens in the final round of qualifying on Thursday as he looks to book his place in the main draw – which begins in York on Saturday.
And after nearly being eliminated by Lines, the Melbourne snooker star jokingly called on Trump to end the bad luck curse placed upon him.
Speaking in an Instagram story, Robertson said: “So Judd, after our match when you called me so lucky, I have had anything but luck.
“Could you please remove the curse that you have put upon me? Was it the thin red, two cushions in behind the yellow, touching ball that sent you over the edge?
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
“So yes mate, can you please remove the curse, because playing the game like this isn’t much fun.
“I do like a challenge, but enough is enough, you’ve had your fun so please remove the curse and allow me to play the game with equal luck as everyone. Thank you mate.”
Robertson is a three-time UK Championship winner having triumphed in 2013, 2015 and 2020.
But since winning his third title four years ago, he has suffered three successive first-round eliminations.
After losing to Robertson last week, 2019 world champion and current world No1 Trump said: “I thought I was very unlucky.
“To be honest I think Neil knows that he didn’t deserve to win like that, but that happens.
“He put in a good spell to go 3-1 up, then after that he had quite a few chances, missed quite a few long balls and got safe every time. It’s just one of those days.”
Trump automatically qualifies for the last-16 of the UK Championship because of his world ranking.
