Robertson back on cue after gaming addiction
Australia's 2010 world snooker champion Neil Robertson admitted Thursday he nearly threw everything away due to an addiction to computer games.
The 35-year-old -- speaking after breezing through his first round match at this year's world championships -- told the BBC at one point his mother created an account so she could check to see whether he was playing the computer games or practising snooker.
"They can be the most fun thing in the world but they can really set you off on the wrong track in your career," said Robertson, whose favoured game was Diablo 2.
"It got to the point, back home in Australia, that my mum would have to create an account and log on to see if I was actually on it instead of playing snooker.
"I've got quite an addictive personality and I've decided to just make a clean break from them. I can't play them."
Robertson, whose last appearance in a ranking final was the Riga Masters last year, said he nearly went crazy when he couldn't get an internet connection in China.
"All I was thinking about was getting back home for a connection," he told Eurosport.
"All of a sudden that became more important than the snooker, which is absolutely crazy."
"Those kind of games are designed to take over your life really.
"You find yourself sitting in front of the computer screen for six, seven or eight hours straight, which is obviously not healthy."
Robertson, who has 10 world ranking titles to his name and famously recorded a 100 century breaks in the 2013/14 campaign despite spending hours playing FIFA 14, said it also impinged on his family life.
"I've been playing some video games through the night. All of a sudden, it is 6am, the birds are tweeting and I'm thinking: 'Oh my God, I've got to get up in a couple of hours to take my son Alexander to school'. Then I've got to practise."
However, Robertson says he has managed to wean himself off them but like any addict counts getting through each day without playing them as a success.
"I've had really good application in my practice after dragging myself away from playing too many video games," he said.
"I'm two months sober, if you like, from playing them. And the multi-play online ones I can't touch because I just get too hooked on them."