Ronnie O'Sullivan dismisses criticism over Scottish Open withdrawal - 'I did not leave it to the last minute'
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Updated 15/12/2023 at 19:43 GMT
Ronnie O'Sullivan burnished his already glittering reputation when winning the UK Championship for an eighth time at the Barbican Centre in York earlier in December. The 48-year-old elected to miss the Scottish Open in Meadowbank for medical reasons. He told Eurosport he was recovered from the UK Championship and hit back at claims he withdrew too late from the Scottish Open.
O’Sullivan fully recovered after ‘hard tournament’ in winning UK Championship
Ronnie O’Sullivan says he is fully recovered from a gruelling UK Championship, and rubbished suggestions that he pulled out of the Scottish Open at the last minute.
O’Sullivan secured a record-extending eighth UK Championship at the start of the December.
He was not at his scintillating best at the Barbican Centre in York, but kept finding a way to win and produced some of his best form in taking down Ding Junhui in the final.
O’Sullivan has missed tournaments this season due to medical reasons, and said he would have no hesitation in pulling out if he felt his mental health would suffer.
After a gruelling time in York, O’Sullivan elected to miss the Scottish Open but arrived in Edinburgh on Friday to take up punditry duties for Eurosport.
“I am feeling alright,” O’Sullivan said in the Eurosport studio. “I’ve recovered from the UK Championship, it was a hard tournament and it took a lot out of me.
“I was not quite ready to come and play here at the Scottish Open which is really disappointing as I love this tournament, love this city and love this venue.”
O’Sullivan’s withdrawal caused a bit of uproar; his first-round opponent Liam Graham took issue with the world No. 1 for pulling out.
“It’s disrespectful what he’s done, it’s not right,” Graham told the Daily Record. “A lot of people took time off work to come and watch today and it’s disappointing.
“At the end of the day I want to play the best players in the world and I was really looking forward to it. I had a lot of people coming to watch and it’s really disappointing for them.
“It’s not surprising given the things he does. I found out when I got to the venue this morning. I didn’t have much prior warning, I think he pulled out very late.
"I would have stayed at home and all the people who have travelled to watch me would have come another day as well.”
O’Sullivan took issue with that viewpoint, saying he withdrew the previous evening as he would not disrespect the event by pulling out on the day of play.
“Contrary to what everyone has said, I did pull out on Sunday night,” O’Sullivan said. “I did not leave it to the last minute which everyone seemed to think, as I would not do that.”
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