Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the Masters on medical grounds. O’Sullivan, 49, was aiming to win a record-extending ninth title, and had been set to face John Higgins in a blockbuster opening to the tournament at Alexandra Palace on Sunday. The Englishman’s place in the invitational event for the 16 highest-ranked players in the world will be taken by Neil Robertson. Like Higgins, the Australian is a two-time winner of the Masters and most recently triumphed in 2022 and was ranked 17th at the seeding cutoff in December. O’Sullivan has won 41 ranking events and seven world titles during a storied career since turning professional in 1992 and claimed his first Masters crown in 1995 at the age of 19. His success 12 months ago, aged 48, meant that he became both the oldest and youngest-ever winner of the second Triple Crown event of the season. He also elected to miss the Masters in 2020. This week, he pulled out of the Championship League before his final group game on Thursday after becoming frustrated with his own performance in a 3-2 loss to Robert Milkins. ‘The Rocket’ played four matches on Wednesday, losing three of them and whacked his cue against the table after missing an easy pink against Milkins. While he quickly apologised to the referee and his opponent, there were reports from Leicester, external that he later threw his cue into a bin before it was retrieved. Every round of the Masters, which runs from 12-19 January, will be shown live on BBC TV. You will also be able to watch uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport mobile app, with additional coverage on BBC Red Button.