Reigning champion Ronnie O'Sullivan PULLS OUT of £350K Masters

Ronnie O'Sullivan has pulled out of the defence of his Masters title on medical grounds.

The record eight-time champion was due to open the Alexandra Palace tournament against fellow 49-year-old John Higgins tomorrow (Sun).

O’Sullivan’s place in the prestigious Triple Crown event has now been filled by world No20 Neil Robertson.

The Rocket famously became both the oldest and youngest-ever winner of the Masters when he won it last year aged 48.

But O’Sullivan has struggled for form of late, withdrawing from the Champions League in Leicester this week before his final group game.

The world No3 lost three of his four matches on Wednesday before whacking his cue on the table on Thursday after missing a simple pot during a 3-2 defeat to Robert Milkins.

He then pulled out of his next match against Ali Carter. It was claimed he later smashed up his cue and threw it in the bin.

O’Sullivan last missed the Masters – where he receives huge support from his home London crowd – in 2020.

He claimed he simply chose not to play that year, but he has previous of late withdrawals from other tournaments for medical reasons, often related to his issues with mental health.

Last season, O’Sullivan missed the German Masters to prioritise his ‘heath and wellbeing’ and pulled out of the Welsh Open due to ‘anxiety’. He also withdrew from last month’s Scottish Open one day before he was due to play, having also skipped the British Open, Wuhan Open and Northern Ireland Open this campaign.

While his medical reasons for missing this year’s Masters have been kept confidential, a source close to O’Sullivan said he was advised to pull out, but may still visit Alexandra Palace next week as a Eurosport pundit.

Commentator Dave Hendon explained: 'Ronnie O’Sullivan we saw earlier was clearly getting frustrated against Robert Milkins. He has made the decision to withdraw from the tournament so he won’t be playing his last match against Ali Carter.

'It means all the matches he was involved in was voided, so he’s on zero (points).

‘Effectively now it’s a six-man group. Still the top four will go through [to the semi-finals] and only one player aside from O’Sullivan will be relegated.’

Last year's win at the Masters was somewhat overshadowed by a spat with Carter that saw both exchange harsh words after the competition. 

Carter described the crowd - very much on O'Sullivan's side - as 'morons' who 'haven't got enough brains'.

He also alleged that O'Sullivan 'snotted' on the floor. The Rocket, meanwhile, ferociously hit back, saying: 'He needs to sort his f***ing life out. 

'I'm not going to skirt around it anymore, tip-toeing on egg shells around someone like that. He's a f***ing nightmare.' 

A year on, the 49-year-old has conceded that his rant was ill-advised but insisted that there is no longstanding feud between the two men. 

‘It’s just heat of the moment stuff,’ said O’Sullivan. ‘If I feel like I’ve got to say something I’ll say it.

‘It’s nothing personal, just heat of the moment stuff. He’s entitled to say what he’s got to say, like I am.

‘Do I regret saying it? Probably. I wish I’d kept my mouth shut and been a bit more polished with my answers, a bit more diplomatic. But I’ve said what I’ve said and that’s fine.

‘It’s only words innit? He goes back to his life, his family and I do. We only have to meet on the table, it’s not like we’re best mates but it’s fine, we’re both pretty grown up.’

In replacing O'Sullivan, Robertson now has a chance to seal a third Masters title, having done so in 2012 and 2022. 

The Thunder From Down under - a nickname derived from his birth place of Melbourne, Australia - is the only non British player to have sealed a Triple Crown, achieved by winning the Masters, World Championship and UK Championship.