Ronnie O’Sullivan gained’t function at subsequent week’s Wuhan Open after deciding to withdraw from the 2025 event, citing medical causes.
The Rocket reached the ultimate of final week’s Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, the place he was narrowly denied a record-extending forty second rating crown by Neil Robertson.
O’Sullivan fought again from 7-2 behind to steer the Australian 9-8 however in the end misplaced the final two frames for a deciding-frame defeat in Jeddah.
The frustration of lacking out on glory was tempered by his extraordinary exploits on the Inexperienced Halls the day prior.
Towards Chris Wakelin within the semi-finals, O’Sullivan produced a best-of-11 efficiency for the ages that included 4 complete clearances and an unbelievable two most 147 breaks.
The 49 year-old might have missed out on the £500,000 champion’s cheque, however he nonetheless took residence complete earnings of over £380,000 taking into consideration his runner-up prize and the 147 bonuses.
It had been anticipated that O’Sullivan would compete once more as quickly as subsequent week with the 2025 Wuhan Open in China representing the subsequent rating occasion on the calendar.
But it surely was introduced on Wednesday that the seven-time world champion has opted to skip that competitors, simply as he did for final yr’s version.
O’Sullivan was as a consequence of face Allan Taylor in a held-over match from the spherical of 128, however his spot within the Wuhan Open draw will as a substitute be crammed by Q College top-up Umut Dikme.
Snooker followers will likely be hoping that this can be a short-term return to his common no-show act from final season, when he missed a big chunk of the schedule.
The English Open appears to be like set to be the subsequent alternative to see Ronnie O’Sullivan in the principle draw of an occasion, with the primary leg of the Dwelling Nations sequence scheduled for the center of September.
Quickly after that, there may be the British Open earlier than the circuit will return to China in October for the Xi’an Grand Prix.
The attracts for the English Open and Xi’an Grand Prix haven’t been made but, however O’Sullivan has been paired with Sanderson Lam on the British Open.
Their first-round recreation is scheduled for the night of Monday, September twenty second on the Centaur in Cheltenham.
The Wuhan Open, in the meantime, will get beneath manner on Sunday with a high prize of £140,000 up for grabs at Optics Valley Gymnasium of HUST.
Xiao Guodong, who skipped the current Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in favour of competing on the World Video games the place he gained a gold medal for China, is the reigning champion.
World primary Judd Trump can also be a former winner having emerged with the silverware on the inaugural staging of the rating event again in 2023.
Regardless of his current early exit on the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, Trump is the outright betting favorite to triumph once more in Wuhan with odds of round 9/2.
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The likes of Kyren Wilson, Zhao Xintong, John Higgins, Mark Selby, and Neil Robertson are additionally within the Wuhan Open subject this yr.
There will likely be extra complete particulars on the marketing campaign’s subsequent rating – together with the draw and tips on how to watch – printed right here on SnookerHQ.com later within the week.
Featured picture credit score: WST
