Ronnie O'Sullivan 'lost the plot' as he explains Masters withdrawal and gives update on future
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Ronnie O'Sullivan has explained his decision to withdraw from the Masters - and insists he WILL be back on the baize. Snooker icon O'Sullivan was due to defend his title at Alexandra Palace with his first-round match against John Higgins slated to get the tournament underway on Sunday. But he unexpectedly pulled out after snapping his cue following a defeat by Robert Milkins in the Championship League on Thursday.
O'Sullivan has had well-documented mental health issues in the past, and there were concerns for his wellbeing from fans and fellow pros alike. But the seven-time world champion insists he is OK and will return to the sport. "I’m alright, not too bad," he said while working for Eurosport on Monday evening. "It was a nightmare decision really to make, if you’d have asked me Sunday if I was ready to play I’d probably have been ok to play. But it’s such a massive tournament.
"I’d been on a three-week trip away playing and I just think I exhausted myself, a lot of pressure while I was away. The build-up of all that just got a bit too much really. "I lost the plot on Thursday, snapped my cue, so that’s unplayable, so I knew at that moment in time the right decision was to not play and such a big tournament that I thought whoever was to come in should have had at least a couple of days notice.".
Neil Robertson was the man to take O'Sullivan's place, and he staged a miraculous comeback from 5-1 down to pip Higgins 6-5 and advance to the quarter-finals. On his cue, the Rocket added: "It was in the bin, one of them wheelie bins, but my mate said we can’t leave that here, so he got it out and brought it with us.
