Robbo eyes Far East form

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Neil Robertson knows he needs to improve his record in the Far East to stand a chance in the upcoming Sanyuan Foods China Open.

Australian left-hander Robertson flies to Beijing for the tournament, which starts on Monday, in the hope of improving on his poor record in the region.

Reigning Grand Prix champion Robertson has not progressed into the last eight of a tournament held in Asia, but he hopes this year will be different.

Robertson has blamed jet-lag for his stuttering form in the Far East, and will adopt a new approach this year as he looks for some form.

"My record in China is not great, I've not been past the last 16," Robertson told worldsnooker.com. "In the past I have struggled with the travel and jet lag.

Sleep

"I have tried going out there three or four days early, but my sleep pattern still ends up all over the place.

"This time I'm flying a bit later and hoping to go straight into it, rather than spending time lying in bed. I'm looking forward to it - I've been practising really well.

"Obviously it's been a while since we last played at the Welsh Open, but I've got the Championship League this week and then China so it's a good time to hit form."

The 28-year-old plays Mike Dunn in Tuesday's first round, but could they face defending champion Peter Ebdon in the second round.

"I don't think I've played him (Dunn) before, he doesn't get to many venues but he's a good player and he's won a lot of matches in the qualifiers," he added.

Title sponsor

After announcing Sanyuan Foods as the new title sponsor of the China Open, chairman Barry Hearn expressed the importance of the game growing in China, where it is already a huge business.

"China is snooker's most vibrant growth area and I'm very excited about the commercial potential there, so this announcement is another step forward," Hearn said.

"We look forward to working with the team at Sanyuan, as well as the CBSA, promoter International Sports Ltd and our other partners, on another successful tournament."