Neil Robertson explains long snooker break and excitement for Mink Nutcharut pairing at World Mixed Doubles

Neil Robertson has enjoyed one of the longer breaks of his snooker career over the summer, but is excited to be back in action at the World Mixed Doubles alongside Mink Nutcharut.

The world number four has not played since suffering defeat in the second round of the World Championship to Jack Lisowski in April, skipping the Championship League and European Masters.

It may have been a disappointing end to the campaign but Robertson regards the last season as his best ever, having won the Masters, English Open, Players Championship and Tour Championship.

After such a successful year, the Australian was keen to recharge the batteries and get fully prepared for the busy schedule that runs from the end of September until Christmasn.

‘It’s been good, it’s been a long summer,’ Robertson told the Talking Snooker podcast. ‘Usually you have a couple of weeks where you don’t really do anything, then it’s pre-season mode where you start hitting balls around, but it was a good couple of months of an off-season.

‘When you have kids you have to wait for them to finish school and enjoy the summer as well. We went to Sweden for three weeks and had a brilliant time.

‘I’ve had an extended break which has been good. I know there have been some other events that have gone on, but I want to play in events when I’m really, really ready to go, which is why I’ve taken the time off to get that extra downtime.

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‘When things get up and running, especially for the top players who have a few more events than some