London, Jan 11 (NationPress) Reigning champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has announced his withdrawal from the Snooker Masters for health-related reasons, as disclosed by the World Snooker Tour on Friday. This prestigious annual invitation tournament, featuring the top 16 players from the Tour, is set to commence on Sunday at Alexandra Palace in London. O'Sullivan, aged 49, was scheduled to compete against John Higgins in the tournament's inaugural match.
His exit follows a controversial incident during a recent Championship League event, where he expressed frustration by striking his cue against the table after missing a straightforward pot in a match against Robert Milkins, as reported by Xinhua. In O'Sullivan's absence from the Masters, Neil Robertson from Australia, who was positioned 17th in the seedings after the UK Championship, will take his place.
Ding Junhui of China is set to face veteran Mark Williams in the first round on Monday. The tournament will also see two other Chinese contenders, Si Jiahui and Zhang Anda, starting their matches on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, with Si playing against Mark Allen, and Zhang going up against Kyren Wilson.
Born in Wordsley, England, O'Sullivan, a seven-time world champion in snooker and often dubbed 'The Rocket', became a resident of Hong Kong earlier this year under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, according to the immigration department.
Recognized as one of the most exceptional talents in snooker history, the 49-year-old has achieved the World Snooker Championship title seven times, sharing this modern-era record with Stephen Hendry. O'Sullivan is also the holder of an unparalleled eight Masters titles and eight UK Championship titles, accumulating a total of 23 Triple Crown titles, the highest in the sport.
O'Sullivan, one of the most acclaimed players globally, turned professional at just 16 years old in 1992 after securing multiple amateur championships, including the IBSF World Under-21 Snooker Championship.
His career milestones feature three World Grand Prix titles, two Players Championship titles, four Welsh Open titles, two Scottish Open titles, two German Masters titles, four Irish Masters titles, two China Open titles, two Champions Cup titles, ten Premier League titles, four Champion of Champions titles, three Scottish Masters titles, and five Shanghai Masters titles.
