Ronnie O`Sullivan to miss the UK Championship

Yesterday it was announced by the BBC that Ronnie O`Sullivan declined his place in the UK Championship and will not be defending his title in Yorkshire.

O`Sullivan have announced he won't be defending his Champion of Champions crown as well at the beginning of November, and The Rocket has failed to attend a professional match since April, when he was playing the World Snooker Championship and lost in the Quarter Finals 13-9 for the eventual Champion Stuart Bingham.
Of course to see a player who won the Champion of Champions and the UK Championship last year - playing in such style - missing them both tournaments this year is a big disappointment, over all it's a big shame, principally because he's still the only winner of the Champion of Champions. And obviously Ronnie O`Sullivan is something special for the game.

With his withdraw from the UK Championship, a Triple Crown Event that he won for a fifth time last year, there's a lot of rumour created around. I just think this Ronnie O`Sullivan is different to that dark Ronnie from the past, he's not skipping tournaments because he's depressed or bored from the game, he's off because he's enjoying life away from it, however it doesn't makes much difference the reason. Many Snooker fans now, even the Ronnie's fans asks themselves (understandably why) if he will enjoy anymore silverware in his career, or if this is the end; I believe he's still too much involved with Snooker to quit, and he's the kind of player who seems to play better playing less. Himself proved it in 2013 winning the World Championship after a season off. I think he got 5 years ahead of him yet where physical will not affect his game, he's 39 now and an experienced marathon runner, but age and stress could, and you couldn't say he's up to win the next five World Championships. Missing events, the bigger ones I mean, is never the right way to go and there's a reason why his 2013 triumph at the Crucible was so much famous and had such a buzz, it's because it's so hard to achieve. We got to be realistic at two ways: Missing all the tournaments makes it harder for Ronnie, but he's still the only player who could rule the Crucible.
I've heard a lot of people saying that Ronnie's return will be at The Masters, but I wouldn't be so sure, nobody expected him to miss the Champion of Champions and the UK Championship, so he did. Anyway I don't want to talk much about a return before any official announcement from himself, his reasons for missing tournaments goes from "health problems" to "enjoying life off the tour and having fun in exhibitions", so I rather wait and see where his next step will be at, hopefully it will take place somewhere.


Last week, Ding Junhui ended a 16-month trophy drought by winning the Asian Tour in China, beating Ricky Walden in the Final 4-3 from 1-3 down. Besides, they were both already knocked out of the International Championship, the first ever professional event played in Daqing, China which has been on Eurosport, and will be, all the week. To follow all the action, follow us on Facebook.