Ronnie O'Sullivan casts doubt over future after World Snooker Championship semi-final exit

Ronnie O'Sullivan cast fresh doubt over his future after crashing out of the World Snooker Championship with a heavy semi-final defeat.

O'Sullivan's bid for an eighth Crucible crown ended in a humiliating 17-7 loss to Zhao Xintong with a session to spare on Friday after the Chinese star won all eight frames in the morning before finishing the job in the evening.

Prior to his arrival in Sheffield, the 49-year-old had not played on the tour since he withdrew midway through his Championship League group in January - snapping his cue after losing four of his five matches.

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And he struggled with his new cue during the World Championship, getting through three tips in all and changing both his tip and ferrule after the first session of the semi.

But although his run to the last four provides some cause for optimism, O'Sullivan admitted he does not know what the future holds, with a move from the UK to the Middle East on the horizon.

He said: "I think I'm going to be moving out of the UK this year. A new life somewhere else.

"I'll still try and play snooker, but I don't know what the future looks like for me really.

"I'm moving away soon so I'll just see how it goes. There's a lot of more important things in life to worry about than a game of snooker.

"For me, it's a big part of my life but I've got to try and figure out what my future looks like, whether it's playing or not.

"I'll be moving away to the Middle East, but we'll see how it goes. I might be back in six months, who knows!

"There are going to be a few changes in my life, so we'll see how that goes."

When asked whether he'd like to throw his cue into the long distance following his Crucible exit, O'Sullivan added: "I won't throw it. The merchandise people want it, so it'll be up for sale. But I won't be throwing it."

O'Sullivan: World title would make Zhao a 'megastar'

O'Sullivan believes Zhao has what it takes to become the first Chinese winner of the World Snooker Championship and earn "megastar" status.

Zhao has had an extraordinary journey to the Crucible showpiece, which gets under way on Sunday and concludes on Monday, with his latest remarkable achievement a 17-7 semi-final win over O'Sullivan with a session to spare.

Having fought through four qualifying rounds as he continues his comeback following a 20-month ban for his involvement in a betting scandal, Zhao has since seen off Jak Jones, Lei Peifan, Chris Wakelin and O'Sullivan to join Ding Junhui as the only other player from China to reach the world final.

Zhao, who is playing as an amateur in Sheffield, showed his class against O'Sullivan on Friday as he won all eight frames in the morning to open up a 12-4 lead before finishing the job in the evening to knock out his hero.

O'Sullivan thinks 2021 UK Championship winner Zhao is capable of going all the way and feels it would be good for the sport if he did get his hands on the trophy.

He said: "I think it would be amazing. I think if he did win he would be a megastar.

"He's still very big in China as it is. But if he becomes world champion it would just be amazing for snooker and for his life as well.

"He can definitely get over the line. I think he'll have more of a test (in the final). That will be a proper test for him.

"He played great. You have to give credit where it's due. We've got a really nice relationship. I'm always trying to help him if I can."