Ronnie O’Sullivan critic Shaun Murphy exhibits true colors after rival pulls out of Masters

Ronnie O’Sullivan will not be defending his Masters title at the tournament he has made his own over the years, with his place in the draw being taken by Neil Robertson

Shaun Murphy has voiced his support for Ronnie O’Sullivan following the snooker icon’s last-minute withdrawal from the Masters.

O’Sullivan, 49, will not be participating in the tournament, which he clinched for a record-breaking eighth time just a year ago. His spot will now be filled by 42-year-old Neil Robertson.

O’Sullivan’s exit, due to medical reasons, came a day after he abruptly left the Championship League before his final group match was due. After a series of disappointing performances, where he lost three out of four matches on Wednesday, his frustrations reached a peak during Thursday’s game.

While leading Robert Milkins 2-1, O’Sullivan lost his cool after missing an easy pink shot to a corner pocket, slamming his cue on the table before eventually losing 3-2. He then discarded his cue in a bin before pulling out of the tournament and leaving the Leicester venue ahead of his final group match against Ali Carter.

Confirmation that he wouldn’t be defending his Masters title came on Friday, reports the Mirror. Murphy, the 2005 world champion, responded with empathy to the news.

Despite their well-known rivalry and Murphy’s past criticisms of O’Sullivan’s behaviour, he expressed concern for the seven-time world champion’s wellbeing and acknowledged the pressure he is under.

“Ronnie has been at the top end of the game since bursting on the scene in 1992, and I’ve often criticised his antics on and off the table,” Murphy confessed to the Metro.“But one of the things I’ve always been clear about is that nobody has carried the weight of expectation that he does. There are players who have had that weight of public expectation for periods of time, but he has carried it since he turned professional.

“To achieve what he has achieved while carrying that weight of expectation must take immense strength of character and it can’t be easy to do that all the time. To be under such scrutiny and in the light so much must take a toll. I hope that he’s okay and nothing too seriously wrong with him and we’ll see him back to his best sooner rather than later.”Robertson, the top player outside the world’s top 16, is set to face John Higgins in the first round this afternoon (Sunday). Meanwhile, Murphy kicks off his campaign against Gary Wilson tonight.