Ronnie O’Sullivan PULLS OUT of snooker’s £350k Masters 24 hours after unusual behaviour noticed snooker star smash and bin cue throughout meltdown
- Ronnie O’Sullivan was due to open the competition on Sunday with John Higgins
- The Rocket has now been replaced by former World No 1 Neil Robertson
- A fuming seven-time world champion pulled out of an event earlier this week
Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the upcoming Masters, citing medical grounds for the decision.
The announcement comes just days away from the tournament opener, which would have seen reigning champion O’Sullivan kickstart the competition against John Higgins on Sunday.
The seven-time world champion claimed a record eighth Masters title last January after defeating Ali Carter 10-7 at Alexandra Palace, in a clash that preceded a fiery war of words between the two.
However, a statement from the World Snooker Tour has declared that he will now be absent from the Masters on health grounds, to be replaced by 17th seed Neil Robertson, who only narrowly missed the 16-man cut, who will now bid for the £350,000 grand prize.
‘Neil Robertson has replaced Ronnie O’Sullivan in the draw for the upcoming Johnstone’s Paint Masters,’ the statement began.
‘Last year’s champion O’Sullivan was due to face John Higgins in the opening match on Sunday afternoon, but has withdrawn on medical grounds.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the Masters on medical grounds, a statement has said
O’Sullivan, the reigning Masters champion, was due to get the tournament running on Sunday
Replacement Neil Robertson will now bid for a third Masters title and the £350,000 prize pot
‘Higgins will now face Robertson, who was ranked in 17th position at the seeding cutoff after the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship.
‘The Johnstone’s Paint Masters runs from January 12th to 19th at Alexandra Palace in London.’
It follows an extraordinary week for The Rocket in which he also pulled out of the Champions League event after a number of strange gestures in his penultimate group match.
The snooker legend lost three of his four matches on Wednesday and appeared to have issues with the tip of his cue on numerous occasions, and at several points the seven-time world champion’s emotions seemed to get the better of him.
He could be seen whacking his cue on the table after missing a pot. O’Sullivan swiftly apologised to the referee and his opponent after the incident.
Later, he fired a white ball into a group of reds, allowing opponent Robert Milkins to clinch a 3-2 victory.
In another notable incident, after failing a routine pot of the blue, O’Sullivan appeared to perform a lewd gesture by spreading his squat legs, sticking his tongue out and moving his cue back and forth from his waist.
The Rocket was due to play Ali Carter in his final group match on Thursday afternoon but he chose to withdraw from the competition.
O’Sullivan produced a series of bizarre antics during his defeat by Robert Milkins this week
The 49-year-old apologised to the referee and his opponent for whacking his cue on the table
Commentator Dave Hendon explained: ‘Ronnie O’Sullivan we saw earlier was clearly getting frustrated against Robert Milkins. He has made the decision to withdraw from the tournament so he won’t be playing his last match against Ali Carter.
‘It means all the matches he was involved in was voided, so he’s on zero (points).
‘Effectively now it’s a six-man group. Still the top four will go through [to the semi-finals] and only one player aside from O’Sullivan will be relegated.’
Last year’s win at the Masters was somewhat overshadowed by a spat with Carter that saw both exchange harsh words after the competition.
Carter described the crowd – very much on O’Sullivan’s side – as ‘morons’ who ‘haven’t got enough brains’.
He also alleged that O’Sullivan ‘snotted’ on the floor. The Rocket, meanwhile, ferociously hit back, saying: ‘He needs to sort his f***ing life out.
‘I’m not going to skirt around it anymore, tip-toeing on egg shells around someone like that. He’s a f***ing nightmare.’
A year on, the 49-year-old has conceded that his rant was ill-advised but insisted that there is no longstanding feud between the two men.
O’Sullivan has admitted regret over his outburst at Ali Carter after last year’s Masters final
The 49-year-old won a record eighth title after defeating his old rival 10-7 at Alexandra Palace
O’Sullivan delivered a middle finger riposte when engaging in his extraordinary rant at Carter
‘It’s just heat of the moment stuff,’ said O’Sullivan. ‘If I feel like I’ve got to say something I’ll say it.
‘It’s nothing personal, just heat of the moment stuff. He’s entitled to say what he’s got to say, like I am.
‘Do I regret saying it? Probably. I wish I’d kept my mouth shut and been a bit more polished with my answers, a bit more diplomatic. But I’ve said what I’ve said and that’s fine.
‘It’s only words innit? He goes back to his life, his family and I do. We only have to meet on the table, it’s not like we’re best mates but it’s fine, we’re both pretty grown up.’
In replacing O’Sullivan, Robertson now has a chance to seal a third Masters title, having done so in 2012 and 2022.
The Thunder From Down under – a nickname derived from his birth place of Melbourne, Australia – is the only non British player to have sealed a Triple Crown, achieved by winning the Masters, World Championship and UK Championship.
