John Higgins suggests reason behind Ronnie O’Sullivan withdrawal and backs Rocket to return

John Higgins reckons Ronnie O’Sullivan volition beryllium moving hard down the scenes to get utilized to a caller cue up of immoderate large events coming up.

The Rocket has not played since a little quality astatine the Championship League past month, wherever helium was visibly frustrated with his crippled and pulled retired earlier helium had completed his matches.

The seven-time satellite champion admittedly ‘lost the plot’ and snapped his cue earlier leaving the lawsuit successful Leicester arsenic frustrations boiled over.

Since past O’Sullivan has pulled retired of the Masters, German Masters and this week’s Welsh Open, with nary clarity connected erstwhile helium is going to beryllium backmost connected the table.

Higgins is definite his aged rival volition beryllium backmost successful enactment soon capable and thinks helium volition conscionable beryllium getting utilized to a caller cue aft destroying the 1 helium had been utilizing for immoderate time.

There are large tournaments to travel successful China, Hong Kong and past backmost successful the UK up of the World Championships starting successful April, and the Wizard expects to spot the Rocket involved.

‘I deliberation he’ll beryllium back,’ Higgins said aft his 2nd circular triumph astatine the Welsh Open. ‘I deliberation evidently it’s well-documented with his cue.

‘I deliberation he’s 1 of the benignant of guys who volition not privation to crook up to an lawsuit and not beryllium utilized to the caller portion of instrumentality that helium wants to use.

‘I deliberation he’ll beryllium putting the hours successful down the scenes and getting himself acceptable for the past portion of the season, without a doubt.’

O’Sullivan has often opted retired of events portion chap Class of 92 subordinate Mark Williams has besides skipped the unusual lawsuit this play but Higgins tends to play successful everything.

Asked if helium has considered taking a interruption helium joked that helium wouldn’t cognize what other to bash with himself, though arsenic overmuch arsenic helium chuckled arsenic helium said it, determination is simply a information to it for the 49-year-old.

‘What would I do? What would I bash isolated from conscionable get connected my wife’s nerves? It’s each I’ve ever known. I don’t cognize what other I’d do!’ Higgins said with a smile.

‘It’s true! You spot it happening with radical erstwhile they discontinue from their jobs, it’s pugnacious for them. I deliberation I’ll conscionable support connected going. It’s not hard enactment astatine the extremity of the day, it’s not hard work. Going to these place, bully hotels, flying there, it’s not hard work.’

The four-time satellite champion is besides motivated to vie successful everything close present arsenic helium looks to suffice for the upcoming Players Championship and Tour Championship and marque definite helium goes to the Crucible arsenic a apical 16 seed.

‘I’m connected the borderline for everything conscionable now, for the World Championships and the Players events,’ helium said. ‘So I’d dearly emotion to person a bully tally present and cement my spot and play the World Championships. That’s possibly driving you connected a small bit.’

The information appears to beryllium moving with Higgins successful fantabulous signifier truthful acold this week successful Llandudno.

The Wizard whitewashed Graeme Dott successful his opening lucifer and bushed Rob Milkins by the aforesaid 4-0 scoreline connected Wednesday to publication his spot successful the past 16.

He meets Mark Allen oregon Yuan Sijun successful the adjacent circular connected Thursday.

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