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Ronnie O’Sullivan is planning “a new life somewhere else” after a crushing semi-final defeat at the World Snooker Championship.
He has revealed he is moving to the Middle East, admitting “I don’t know what the future looks like for me really”.
O’Sullivan’s quest for an eighth Crucible title ended abruptly with a 17-7loss to Zhao Xintong.
The Chinese star dominated the match, winning all eight frames in the morning session and sealing O’Sullivan's fate in the evening.
O’Sullivan's preparation for the championship was unconventional. He had been absent from the tour since January, withdrawing mid-tournament from the Championship League after snapping his cue in frustration.
This followed a string of poor results, losing four out of five matches.
Throughout the World Championship, O'Sullivan struggled to find consistency with his new cue, going through three tips and changing both the tip and ferrule after the first session of the semi-final.
The 49-year-old admitted uncertainty about his future in the sport.
He 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.
“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.”
O’Sullivan said he would be moving “away to the Middle East”, but might be back in six months’ time.
“Who knows,” he said.
“There are going to be a few changes in my life so we’ll see how that goes.”
When asked whether he’d like to throw his cue a long distance following his exit, O’Sullivan added: “I won’t throw it.
“The merchandise people want it so it’ll be up for sale. But I won’t be throwing it.”
English (US) ·