Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the European Masters in Nuremberg, opening the door for a problem on his world primary standing.
The seven-time world champion was resulting from play Andy Hicks on day certainly one of what’s the second rating occasion of the 2023/24 snooker season.
However O’Sullivan has determined to skip the match, with a brief assertion on the World Snooker Tour web site citing medical causes.
“Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the BetVictor European Masters in Germany for medical causes,” the assertion learn.
“O’Sullivan was resulting from play Andy Hicks within the first spherical of the world rating occasion in Nuremberg on Tuesday at 8pm.”
“Hicks will now obtain a bye to the final 64.”
On Monday, WST introduced that Shaun Murphy’s opponent Graeme Dott within the held-over preliminary spherical had additionally withdrawn.
In that case, there was time for a substitute to be drafted in with Steven Hallworth subsequent within the order from the Q Faculty rankings getting the decision to face Murphy as a substitute.
Nevertheless it was too late within the day for that choice to be applied right here, which is actually useful for Hicks.
It’s not the primary time that O’Sullivan has withdrawn from a contest on the final minute.
Certainly, he has made a behavior of it and pulled an identical transfer on the campaign-opening Championship League Snooker earlier this summer time.
Upset followers will subsequent hope to see the 47 year-old carry out on the Shanghai Masters – a profitable invitational – in September.
What his absence does imply is there may be now a giant alternative for both Luca Brecel or Mark Allen to turn out to be world primary for the primary time.
World champion Brecel is simply £12,500 adrift of O’Sullivan within the provisional two-year rolling standings.
A run to the semi-finals for the Belgian Bullet within the European Masters this week may very well be sufficient to see him usurp the Englishman into first place.
That’s, in fact, if Allen doesn’t land the title itself as a triumph for the Northern Irishman on Sunday would see him turn out to be world primary as a substitute.
Brecel and Allen are tantalisingly on completely different sides of the draw, that means an enthralling winner-takes-all title decider may very well be on the playing cards.
For extra info on the European Masters draw, click on right here.
Featured photograph credit score: WST