Ronnie O’Sullivan withdraws and Mark Williams stunned at British Open

Ronnie O’Sullivan was a precocious withdrawal from the British Open portion defending champion Mark Williams was stunned successful his opening circular lucifer successful Cheltenham.

O’Sullivan was owed to look Thailand’s Manasawin Phetmalaikul successful his archetypal crippled and was inactive successful the gully connected Monday morning.

However, the Rocket’s withdrawal was confirmed successful a connection from World Snooker Tour, though nary crushed for the determination was given.

‘Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled retired of the Unibet British Open, which starts contiguous successful Cheltenham,’ a WST connection read.

‘He was owed to look Manasawin Phetmalaikul astatine 7pm connected Monday. O’Sullivan has ben replaced by Lewis Ullah, the highest disposable subordinate from the 2024 Q School ranking list.’

O’Sullivan has not been a large protagonist of the British Open since it returned to the calendar successful 2021, lone competing successful the 2022 variation erstwhile helium mislaid successful his archetypal lucifer to Alexander Ursenbacher.

Another withdrawal from the lawsuit means his adjacent competitory outing is acceptable to beryllium astatine the Wuhan Open adjacent month.

Williams surely was competing successful Cheltenham arsenic helium looked to support the rubric helium brilliantly won past twelvemonth by beating Mark Selby successful the final.

He fell astatine the archetypal hurdle, though, comfortably beaten 4-1 by Malaysia’s Rory Thoras the seasoned struggled to woody with his caller cue.

Since his tally to the last of the Saudi Arabia Masters, which helium truthful narrowly mislaid to Judd Trump, the Welshman has started playing with a caller cue and it is taking immoderate clip for him to get utilized to it.

Williams was obscurity adjacent his superb best, with Alan McManus connected commentary saying helium was ‘as mediocre arsenic I’ve seen him play successful a long, agelong time’ successful decision to the satellite fig 79.

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