Ronnie O'Sullivan pulls out of Masters snooker tournament on 'medical grounds'

Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has pulled retired of this year's Masters snooker tourney connected aesculapian grounds.

The satellite fig three, who has won the contention 8 times, was owed to look John Higgins successful the opening lucifer connected Sunday afternoon.

Neil Robertson has replaced O'Sullivan successful the gully for the Masters, which takes spot astatine Alexandra Palace successful London until 19 January.

It comes aft O'Sullivan, a seven-time satellite champion, whacked his cue connected the array successful vexation and lashed the achromatic shot into a radical of reds during his decision to Rob Milkins successful snooker's Championship League connected Thursday.

The 49-year-old is reported to person thrown his cue successful the bin earlier pulling retired of the lawsuit up of a scheduled day gathering with Ali Carter.

O'Sullivan played 4 matches successful the contention connected Wednesday, losing 3 of them, and seemed to person occupation with the extremity connected his cue.

A connection from the World Snooker Tour read: "Neil Robertson has replaced Ronnie O'Sullivan successful the gully for the upcoming Johnstone's Paint Masters.

"Last year's champion O'Sullivan was owed to look John Higgins successful the opening lucifer connected Sunday afternoon, but has withdrawn connected aesculapian grounds."

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It comes aft O'Sullivan withdrew from the Northern Ireland Open for aesculapian reasons successful October 2024.

It was the 3rd consecutive tourney that O'Sullivan had withdrawn from, having besides skipped the British Open and Wuhan Open.

O'Sullivan was knocked retired connected the opening time of the UK Championship successful November past twelvemonth having antecedently won the tourney 8 times.