Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed plans to start a new life in the Middle East following his shocking semi-final exit from the World Snooker Championship. The 49-year-old, who was seeking his eighth Crucible title, was soundly beaten 17-7 by Zhao Xintong in a performance that saw him lose all eight frames in the morning session before Zhao sealed victory in the evening. This early exit came as a surprise to many, particularly after O’Sullivan’s less-than-ideal preparations for the tournament.
Before arriving at the Crucible, O’Sullivan had not competed on the tour since withdrawing midway through his Championship League group in January, where he had a poor run, winning just one out of five matches. The situation worsened as he broke his cue during the tournament, and later faced difficulties with his new cue at the World Championship. O’Sullivan switched tips multiple times throughout the event, even replacing the tip and ferrule after the first session of his semi-final match. Despite these setbacks, he managed to make it to the semi-finals, a feat that offered some hope for his future in the sport.
However, after his defeat, O’Sullivan expressed uncertainty about his future. He announced plans to leave the UK and start a new life elsewhere, with the Middle East as his destination. “I think I’m going to be moving out of the UK this year. A new life somewhere else,” he said. While he hinted at continuing his snooker career, O’Sullivan acknowledged that he was uncertain about what lay ahead. “I’ll still try to play snooker but I don’t know what the future looks like for me really,” he added, emphasizing that there were more important aspects of life to consider than snooker.
O’Sullivan’s sudden decision to move away marks a significant change in his life. While he admitted the move could be temporary, he stated that his future in snooker would depend on how things unfolded. He suggested he could return to the UK within six months, but was unsure of the exact path his life would take. “There are going to be a few changes in my life so we’ll see how that goes,” he concluded, leaving fans to speculate about what this might mean for his future in the sport.
The news of O’Sullivan’s exit was particularly frustrating for fans attending the semi-final, as they were informed that the fourth session of the match would not take place. As a result, the World Snooker Tour decided to host an exhibition featuring snooker legends Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor, marking 40 years since their famous 1985 World Championship final. However, this was not well received by fans who had paid for tickets to watch the semi-final action. Many took to social media to voice their displeasure, with some calling it a “rip-off” and demanding refunds for the canceled session.
In response, the World Snooker Tour explained that their terms and conditions meant they were unable to offer refunds or exchanges for the tickets. They apologized for the inconvenience but emphasized that they were offering an alternative form of entertainment with the exhibition. The statement also acknowledged that it was the first time in over a decade that a semi-final had finished a session early, highlighting how rare such occurrences were and that the situation was beyond their control.
Despite the disappointment among the spectators, the event continued with the exhibition, though the issue of refunds remained a sore point for many fans who felt shortchanged after the unexpected turn of events.
