Shaun Murphy claims Ronnie O'Sullivan could call off Welsh Open snooker return to leave fans stunned again
Shaun Murphy has claimed snooker great Ronnie O'Sullivan could pull out of the Welsh Open.
The Rocket hasn't played since snapping his cue and lashing out at the table during a frustrating Championship League campaign in early January, and sensationally pulled out of the Masters just over a day before he was due to face Scottish great John Higgins. However O'Sullivan is set to make a return to competitive snooker at the Welsh Open in Llandudno this week, where he is due to take on home hero Jamie Clarke on February 11.
However Masters winner Murphy believes that the seven time world champion could pull out at the 11th hour again, as he cast doubt over whether fans in Wales would get to see their man back in action. Speaking on the BBC, Murphy said: "Ronnie spoke at the Masters about not being in a great place. The last time that he was out with his cue he actually snapped it, so I wouldn't say his appearance here to play on this table is absolutely guaranteed. But all of us in the snooker world are excited about his return, whenever that might be."
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And after a dream start to 2025 that saw him lift a second Masters title a decade on, Magician Murphy is keen to keep his strong form going. He continued: "I came close here a couple of years ago, it's been a great 2025 for me so far, so I'm hoping for a good week this week. But there are plenty of players who are in the mix for the trophy, of that there is no doubt.
"Mark Selby is playing really, really well and he's coming into good form just at the right time in the season. We've spoken about the Welsh open being the springboard for many players' careers, this was Mark's first ranking event win way back in 2008. It's an event he's very fond of."
