Ronnie O’Sullivan’s participation in the forthcoming British Open has been thrown into uncertainty following the veteran’s withdrawal from the Wuhan Open.
O’Sullivan, 49, is poised to skip the Chinese tournament due to medical reasons.
“Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled out of next week’s Wuhan Open in China for medical reasons,” a World Snooker Tour statement read.
“O’Sullivan was due to meet Allan Taylor in the opening round on Sunday August 24. He will be replaced in the draw with the leading player from the Q School rankings, Germany’s Umut Dikme.”
The Wuhan Open takes place from August 24-30, whilst the English Open commences on September 11.
The British Open follows shortly afterwards, with the Cheltenham tournament beginning on September 22.
The precise cause behind O’Sullivan’s withdrawal from China remains undisclosed, leaving it uncertain whether he will manage to return to competition next month.
This marks another occasion where O’Sullivan has stepped back from an event citing medical grounds.
An undisclosed condition compelled him to pull out of last autumn’s Northern Ireland Open at the final moment, whilst he also made a last-minute choice to miss the Welsh Open in February.
The Rocket addressed the public following that latter withdrawal, expressing understanding for supporters who had made the journey to witness him compete.
“I realise plenty of people who bought tickets to some recent snooker events will have been frustrated when I withdrew, so I just wanted to say sorry to those of you who’ve been disappointed with me having to pull out of those tournaments,” he said.
“I’ve been trying to prioritise my health and well-being, which sometimes means making last-minute decisions not to play.
“It’s never an easy decision and I hate letting people down. I’m doing what I can to get back to my best, and I’m grateful for all your support and understanding.”
O’Sullivan’s most recent withdrawal follows an impressive showing at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Jeddah.
He struck two maximum breaks in a semi-final triumph over Chris Wakelin, securing a six-figure sum in the process, but suffered a 10-9 defeat to Neil Robertson in a gripping final.
“Neil deserved to win, he was the better player,” O’Sullivan said after the loss. “I just tried to hang on to him and make a game of it. I was pleased to do that, he was outplaying me at 7-2. When I came here I would have been happy just to win a couple of matches. I was pleased with my performances.”
Robertson, a former world champion, expressed his delight at winning after a difficult period.
“It feels great to be back in this position,” he said. “Coming here last year I was 28th in the world. Hopefully my story will inspire younger generations because you should never give up, you will get ups and downs but it’s not about how far you fall, it’s about how far you bounce.”
