Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from a second snooker event in consecutive days, with his team announcing he will not participate in this weekend’s exhibition match in Helsinki.
The seven-time world champion’s latest withdrawal comes just one day after pulling out of next week’s German Masters tournament.
Both cancellations have been attributed to medical reasons, though specific details about O’Sullivan’s condition have not been disclosed.
The exhibition match was set to feature O’Sullivan against fellow snooker legend John Higgins in the Finnish capital.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has had a tough start to the yearPA
The exhibition match had been scheduled for Saturday in Helsinki, where O’Sullivan was due to face four-time world champion Higgins.
The high-profile encounter will now need to be rescheduled for a later date.
O’Sullivan’s team moved quickly to inform fans of the cancellation, releasing a statement expressing their regret over the situation.
In a statement, O’Sullivan’s team said: “We are really sorry to have to cancel the event in Helsinki this weekend. We will work with the promoters to find a date to reschedule a show when Ronnie is feeling better.”
The team thanked fans for their understanding regarding the late cancellation.
Ronnie O’Sullivan will be taking a break from snookerPA
The statement suggests O’Sullivan’s team are committed to ensuring Finnish fans will get to see the match at a future date once the player has recovered.
No specific timeline has been provided for when, or if, the exhibition match might be rearranged.
O’Sullivan claimed a hectic schedule prior to the Triple Crown event last week led to his decision not to play at the Alexandra Palace. “I’ve obviously been on this three-week trip, away playing, and I think I just exhausted myself,” he said.
“There was a lot of pressure while I was away and the build-up of all that kind of got too much.
“I lost the plot on Thursday and snapped my cue so that’s unplayable, so I just knew at that moment in time, the right decision was not to play.
“It’s such a big tournament I felt whoever was going to come in should at least have a couple of days’ notice.”
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