Sussex star Robertson exits World Snooker Championship – before Just Stop Oil protesters cause chaos

The Bexhill potter led 5-4 after the opening session of their first-round match at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on Sunday afternoon.

But three-time champion Williams showed his class by winning all six frames during the second session 24 hours later to complete a 10-5 victory.

Robertson’s exit came on the day the event was disrupted by Just Stop Oil protesters, one of whom jumped on to one of the tables mid-match and threw orange dust across the table while another tried – unsuccessfully – to attach herself to the other table.

Robertson was 2-1, 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4 ahead during a closely-contested first session on Sunday in which he fashioned breaks of 74, 65 and 59 against the world number eight.

The 36-year-old was starved of good opportunities the following afternoon, though, as Williams produced four half-century breaks to set up a second-round clash against Luca Brecel.

It means Robertson, who also lost 10-5 to Welsh cueman Williams at the same stage in 2018, is still to win a match in five appearances at the Crucible.

The former European Masters champion reached the televised stages by winning two matches in last week's qualifiers, the second of which was a 10-2 thrashing of Anthony Hamilton.