Robertson adds Bahrain crown to his name

Last weekend, Neil Robertson underlined his capacity to produce his best when under pressure, a quality which he believes is the hallmark of the great competitors in sport.

The 26-year-old Australian came from 7-6 down to win the last three frames and beat Matthew Stevens 9-7 in the final of the first ever ranking event staged in Bahrain.

"When it gets to the final, great champions rise to the occasion," Robertson told reporters.

"You see it with people like Roger Federer and Michael Jordan. They never say die. I've won three out of three finals now and I don't want to know what it's like to lose one.

"At 3-0 up I felt unbelievable, I was playing like I do in practice. After that I was still making 50 breaks but I lost a lot of close frames, Matthew's safety was very good. I was 4-3 up after the first session but I felt as if it should have been 5-2 or 6-1.

"The big frame was the 14th, if I'd have gone 8-6 down that would have been hard to come back from. The final black in that frame was not a nice shot because the white was glued to the side cushion. Potting it felt massive and at 7-7 I fancied winning."

Robertson struggled to find his game last season, reaching only one ranking quarter-final, but several factors have turned his fortunes around.

"There were a few technical faults which I worked on with Steve Prest, I'd got into some bad habits and my long game wasn't there," said Robertson.

"I moved clubs too and the table I have now plays exactly like a TV table at venues, which has helped with my break-building. I've been looking after myself, going to bed early, going to the gym four times a week, and I've only had two nights out in the last four months.

"Last year was a disaster and I read some things about me on some snooker forums which were quite hurtful, so that gave me the motivation to come back strongly this season.

"It's been a fantastic experience for me in Bahrain, it's a great place and to win the first tournament here is a real privilege. I hope we can come back here next year."