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Ronnie O'Sullivan was eliminated from the World Snooker Championship after losing in the semi-finals to Zhao Xintong 17-7. The Rocket is left without the chance to become the player with the most world titles in the modern era. He will remain tied at the top of the rankings with Stephen Hendry, both with seven.
"I missed a lot of shots. I've lost what I had. I'm so disappointed. I don't know if it was me, the tip of the cue or the ferrule. I didn't know where the white ball was going," O'Sullivan confessed after the defeat.
O'Sullivan had not competed on the World Snooker Tour (WST) since withdrawing from his Championship League group. He was so frustrated with his game that he broke his cue after losing four of his five matches. "I've been playing like that in practice. I find it hard to take.I've been like that for four years.I can't even fix it, that's the problem. I'm so far gone I don't even know where to start," continued a downbeat O'Sullivan.
Asked about his future, O'Sullivan cast doubt on whether he will continue playing: "Do I not play again? I'm not saying anything. I've said it so many times. I'm not saying anything other than I'll quit soon. There are much more important things in life to worry about than a game of pool".
At the end of 2023, ' The Rocket' temporarily retired from competition. He announced that he was taking a break to look after his mental health. A few months earlier, he had already told how "he lost himself for seven years in alcohol and drugs and had to learn that happiness is an internal job".
What O'Sullivan is clear about is that he will go away for a few months to live outside Great Britain: "There will be some changes in my life, so I'll see how that goes. I think I'll also move out of the UK this year," he said. The Middle East could be his destination, either the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia, where he has a snooker academy, according to The Sun.