O'Sullivan pulls out of latest tournament ahead of Crucible world title defence
Ronnie O'Sullivan has refused a rare opportunity to get match practice ahead of his World Snooker Championship defence in April.
The Rocket has pulled out of the Championship League at the Morningside Arena in Leicester just weeks before his return to the Crucible.
Seven-time world champion O'Sullivan had been scheduled to face Stephen Maguire, Tom Ford, Graeme Dott, Matt Selt, Xiao Guodong and Zhou Yuelong in Group 7, but his withdrawal was confirmed before the action got underway on Monday.
He now risks heading to Sheffield undercooked as he jets off to Thailand for the Six Red World Championship from March 6-11. And he is due to play the WST Classic in Leicester the following week as preparations ramp up for snooker's showpiece event starting on April 15.
But unless he wins the WST Classic - a replacement for the cancelled Turkish Masters - and other result go his way, he will not qualify for the prestigious Tour Championship, which serves as an ideal Crucible warm up.
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O'Sullivan has struggled for form in ranking events this season and is languishing down in 21st position on the one-year money list. He failed to qualify for the Players Championship where the top 16 competed last week, and the Tour Championship in Hull only features the top eight.
O'Sullivan has won two eminent events at the Hong Kong Masters and the Champion of Champions this season, but those invitational tournaments did not carry ranking point status.
O'Sullivan won a record-equalling seventh world title at the Crucible last May (VCG via Getty Images)He pulled out of the European Masters due to an injury last August and claimed he was close to forfeiting a match at this month's Welsh Open due to problems with his cue.
But a lack of match sharpness is hardly likely to perturb O'Sullivan in his pursuit of a record-breaking eighth world title at snooker's spiritual home.
He famously defended his world title in 2013 having spent an entire season away from the green baize, and will be among the favourites to create more history at the iconic Sheffield theatre come May.
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