Neil Robertson, Australia's snooker great, faces the indignity of having to battle through qualifying just to reach this year's world championships.
Robertson, who won the crown in 2010, has played in 19 successive championships at the famed Crucible Theatre arena but defeat in the semi-final of the World Open in China on Saturday means he must now go through the qualifying minefield if he wants to play in Sheffield in April.
No wonder the 42-year-old Australian looked so disappointed after his 6-5 defeat to home hero Ding Junhui in Yushan because he had needed to win the event to preserve his top-16 ranking and gain automatic entry to his 20th straight world championships.
