Ronnie O’Sullivan had to get replaced late on on the Masters for a second successive yr, leaving followers disenchanted.
Ronnie O’Sullivan skipped the Masters for the second successive yr (Picture: PA)
Chris Wakelin has acknowledged he was the one individual in snooker to welcome Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Eleventh-hour withdrawal from the Masters. The celebrated invitational match took a success when the eight-time champion pulled out on account of medical causes shortly earlier than the primary spherical obtained below method.
Whereas the Rocket’s appearances have grow to be more and more sporadic since lacking final yr’s occasion, expectations have been excessive that he would take part this time round. His absence opened the door for Wakelin, ranked seventeenth and the highest-placed participant outdoors the highest 16, to step into the breach. The 33-year-old was thrilled to get the call-up, although he recognises Alexandra Palace spectators could have felt let down.
He advised Metro: “Clearly he pulled out final yr, however with me being at 17 [in the rankings], I believed this would be the yr that he turns up!
“It is a huge disgrace for the match and for the followers. There’s just one one that’s thrilled about it and fortunately for me, that’s me.
Wakelin’s Alexandra Palace stint proved short-lived as Neil Robertson dispatched him 6-2, with each first-round encounter ending with the identical scoreline.
Neil Robertson wasn’t shocked to see O’Sullivan pull out (Picture: Getty Photographs)
It was Robertson who stuffed in for O’Sullivan final yr. The Thunder from Down Below participant had a hunch that the Rocket, now primarily based in Dubai, would possibly miss the occasion.
He stated: “I did know that I used to be contact and go when it comes to the allowance of the times he has along with his Dubai citizenship. So, I knew there was the potential for him not coming.”
Robertson added: “I wasn’t actually shocked when he withdrew, however I used to be ready for that. I wasn’t affected in any respect when it comes to my match prep.”
Reflecting on his loss, Wakelin admitted: “I felt actually good at 2-2, then Neil got here out and made back-to-back centuries, and I felt like I melted on the market.
Chris Wakelin loved the expertise regardless of dropping within the first spherical (Picture: Getty Photographs)
“What a tremendous match and a terrific alternative. You may’t play superb snooker each week, I have never obtained that consistency but.”
The quarter-finals kicked off on Thursday, with John Higgins narrowly defeating world champion Zhao Xintong 6-5 and Judd Trump securing a 6-2 victory over Mark Allen.
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Robertson is ready to face Kyren Wilson within the last quarter-final on Friday night time, following an all-Chinese language showdown between Wu Yize and Xiao Guodong.
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