UK Championship, York

Ronnie O'Sullivan considers retirement after defeat to Judd Trump

• Trump prevails 6-5 at the UK Championship in York
• 'I feel like I've had enough of the anxious moments'
Ronnie O'Sullivan said there is 'more to life' than playing snooker
Ronnie O'Sullivan said there is 'more to life' than playing snooker after losing at the UK Championship. Photograph: Steven Paston/Action Images

Ronnie O'Sullivan bowed out of the UK Championship in York on Tuesday and claimed he needs to end his career if he is to have a life away from snooker.

On the table, O'Sullivan's two-year wait for a ranking event title continued as he was beaten 6-5 in the second round by Judd Trump, but the Essex player, who turned 36 on Monday, was keen to discuss matters away from the baize.

Despite having been the box-office attraction for the majority of his 20-year career, O'Sullivan has rarely been a settled presence as snooker's public face and has continually threatened to retire.

Having gone through public battles with depression, O'Sullivan's mindset has always been one of snooker's talking points, but he says he now understands why he has gone through such turmoil.

"I thought I applied myself today, I feel in a good place and I don't want to take the shine off Judd but I seriously can't see me having much longer playing," O'Sullivan said. "Even though I'm in a good frame of mind, I don't want to feel how I feel when I play. My game is not up to scratch, where I would like it to be or where it used to be. It's not even playing, it's how I feel in between matches and tournaments. It leaves me feeling quite nervy and anxious and I feel like I've had enough of the anxious moments.

"Having those emotions going round in general, I find quite difficult. I feel really well, the best I have ever done, I just feel sometimes the truth needs to be told. I've given it a really good go, but how long? I don't know.

"I want to enjoy my life. I feel like I've had a good go, I'm 36 and I would like to meet somebody and share my time with someone. When I'm feeling the way I feel between tournaments I find that very difficult to happen. I think there's more to life, or there is for me."

O'Sullivan, who has won 22 ranking titles, has been seeing sports psychologist Dr Steve Peters in a bid to solve his problems. He claims, though, that constantly being on the road is a key factor behind his domestic instability and he is keen to make changes.

"I'd like to settle down and do some other things and not have the anxious moments and thoughts that have plagued me," he added. "I will probably try and tough it out for a little bit. Everybody knows I've been seeing Dr Steve Peters and he'll kill me for saying this and opening up like this.

"I will talk to him and I think for my own peace of mind, my own life, there is life beyond snooker. I still want to work and I'm sure I'll find stuff to do but I want to share my life with someone. I don't want to be living on my own, I don't want to travel around the world on my own feeling anxious, carrying these emotions. To be the real Ronnie, I need to get away from what's causing the problem."

While O'Sullivan was left pondering his future once again, at 14 years his junior and viewed as the heir-apparent to his people's champion crown, Trump has little to bother him.

The Bristol player's fearless style has already won him a legion of fans, and his ability to sink difficult, long reds helped him take the last two frames for a comeback win.

"I think I got outplayed, my safety wasn't great and I let him in first in over half of the frames," Trump said. "I got a little bit lucky to still be in the match but it's always nice to be in the last stages."

The afternoon's other second-round encounter was another thriller, with the two-times winner Ding Junhui seeing off the 2003 champion, Matthew Stevens, 6-5.

John Higgins followed O'Sullivan out of the tournament after leaving himself with a mountain to climb in the evening game against Stephen Maguire. Frame one could have gone either way as Higgins, needing a snooker, forced an unfortunate in-off from his opponent. However, he carelessly returned the compliment and Maguire took the frame.

He doubled his lead with the highest break of the tournament so far, a 144 sparked by a superb long red, then calmly cleared the colours to prevent Higgins pinching frame three.

Higgins finally got on the board in the fourth as a plant set up a break of 60 and Maguire failed to get the two snookers he required. Breaks of 57 and 66 after the interval helped Maguire move 5-1 up but Higgins salvaged some pride with a 101 in frame seven and cleared with 54 to cut the gap to two frames.

The comeback continued apace with a 95 clearance to leave Higgins just 5-4 behind but he overcut a black in the next and Maguire made a match-winning 70.

Neil Robertson beat his fellow former world champion Graeme Dott in the evening's other game. Robertson took the first and, after Dott levelled via a re-spotted black, the Australian regained the initiative with a break of 71 in frame three and was gifted a topsy-turvy fourth.

Dott missed a frame-ball red into the middle pocket after a break of 56 and though Robertson's first chance slipped away with poor positional shots to yellow and green, he eventually got over the line to take a 3-1 interval lead.

Dott battled his way over the line in frame five but Robertson took the next and moved to the brink of victory by sneaking frame seven, theatrically patting his heart after the final black wobbled in the jaws before dropping. Dott stayed in the match after taking frame eight on the black and got in first with 60 in the next, but he missed a difficult long red and Robertson produced a tremendous clearance of 68 to progress to the last eight.

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