Ronnie O'Sullivan has said he "hates letting people down" after withdrawing from yet another event on the World Snooker Tour calendar. The Rocket pulled out of the Welsh Open, currently underway in Llandudno, less than four hours before his first-round match with Jamie Clarke.

He has not played since crashing out of the Champions League in January when he hit his cue on the table and subsequently missed his beloved Masters, where he was due to face John Higgins.

O'Sullivan has missed eight tournaments this season and is yet to win a title. He reached the semi-finals of the Xi'an Grand Prix, Shanghai Masters and Riyadh Season Championship earlier in the campaign.

"I realize that many people who have purchased tickets to some recent tournaments have been disappointed by my withdrawals, so I just wanted to say that I'm sorry to those of you who were disappointed with me and me not playing in these tournaments. I'm trying to prioritize my health, which means sometimes I have to make last-minute decisions not to play. The decision is never easy and I hate letting people down. I'm doing everything I can to get back to peak form and I appreciate all your support and understanding", Ronnie wrote on his X profile.

The next tournament on The Rocket schedule is the World Open in Yushan, China between February 23 and March 1. The World Grand Prix, Players Championship and Tour Championship will also be held next month before the start of the World Championship in Sheffield in mid-April. | BGNES