Defending champion Neil Robertson has crashed out of the first round of the Scottish Open following a 4-2 defeat to Ross Muir.
He exited amid controversy: Robertson called the referee's failure to punish what he perceived as Muir's slow play a "disgrace".
The referee should have stepped in to tell Ross Muir to hurry up. A stronger referee would have taken action. It was a disgrace.
Muir's average shot time was 31 seconds, and Robertson described the game as a "bit of a farce", saying that "two and a half hours for six frames of snooker is an absolute joke".
It transpired, however, that Muir was playing slowly owing to a medical situation. Muir was struggling with an eye migraine, exacerbated beneath the arena's bright lights.
I was really struggling with my right eye.
I've been to numerous opticians and GPs. I'm prone to eye migraines and they seem to get really bad under pressure and it makes me slow down a lot.
If I need extra time, I'll take extra time. It's obvious that I have a medical issue. If you know my game then you know that is much slower than my normal pace.
Robertson was unaware of Muir's condition, and issued an apology on Twitter once he learned of the news.
I would like to apologies to Ross. I let my self down in the interview which was seconds after the match. Incredibly disappointed with the conditions today and as defending champion it only made it more frustrating. I was unaware of his health problems and hope he gets better.
I would like to apologies to Ross. I let my self down in the interview which was seconds after the match. Incredibly disappointed with the conditions today and as defending champion it only made it more frustrating. I was unaware of his health problems and hope he gets better🙏
— Neil Robertson (@nr147) December 12, 2018
Elsewhere in the tournament, in spite of playing with a broken rib, John Higgins didn't drop a frame against Gerard Greene, while compatriot Graeme Dott also progressed to the next round.
