Snooker: Robertson defeats Simmonds

Neil Robertson shook off the after-effects of a nightmare 12,000-mile journey to defeat Luke Simmonds 5-2 and move into the third qualifying round of the £250,000 European Open.

The Australian number two arrived a day late for his scheduled flight from Melbourne and overslept during a stop-off at Singapore airport, causing him to miss his connecting flight to London.

But Robertson showed no ill effects of his misadventure as breaks of 54, 63, 60 and 57 carried him through.

He said: ‘‘It makes me laugh when I hear some of the other players moaning that they’ve had a four-hour drive to come and play.’’

Robertson will also find Christmas traumatic due to the scheduling of the next qualifying events.

The World Snooker Association have pencilled in the Thailand Masters qualifiers for the week before Christmas and the Regal Welsh Open for the first week of the new year.

He added: ‘‘I’m disappointed that the governing body have chosen those dates because there’s been no consideration of the overseas players.

‘‘I’ll either have to fly back home between them or stay in Britain and I can’t really afford to go to Australia and come back so it looks like I’m stuck here.’’