Ronnie O’Sullivan crashed out of the World Snooker Championship with a heavy semi-final defeat to Zhao Xintong and admitted he is set to move away from the UK
Ronnie O’Sullivan is gearing up for a significant change, as the world-famous snooker player announced plans to relocate to the Middle East following his exit from the World Snooker Championship.
O’Sullivan was handed a tough blow after a 17-7 defeat in the semi-finals by China’s Zhao Xintong, who effectively wrapped up the win with a session to spare last Friday, dominating all eight frames that morning and concluding matters later that evening.
The six-time world champion hadn’t appeared on the professional tour since January when he quit during his Championship League group after an unsatisfactory performance, which saw him break his cue after losing four of his five matches.
The 46-year-old encountered difficulties at the Crucible Theatre, particularly with his equipment, cycling through three different cue tips and opting to change both tip and ferrule following the first round of his semi-final bout.
Despite reaching the semi-finals, which could hint at better days ahead, O’Sullivan expressed uncertainty about his prospects in the sport sharing that his forthcoming shift from the UK may signal a new chapter.
Looking towards the future, O’Sullivan said: “I think I’m going to be moving out of the UK this year. A new life somewhere else.
“I’ll still try and play snooker but I don’t know what the future looks like for me really.
“I’m moving away soon so I’ll just see how it goes. There’s a lot of more important things in life to worry about than a game of snooker.”
Reflecting on his career and life choices, the Rocket added: “For me, it’s a big part of my life but I’ve got to try and figure out what my future looks like, whether it’s playing or not.
“I’ll be moving away to the Middle East but we’ll see how it goes. I might be back in six months, who knows!
“There are going to be a few changes in my life so we’ll see how that goes.”
When asked if he felt like tossing his cue far away after his departure, O’Sullivan remarked: “I won’t throw it. The merchandise people want it so it’ll be up for sale. But I won’t be throwing it.”
