Ronnie O'Sullivan pulls out of German Masters due to 'medical reasons', Dylan Emery to receive bye into last 32

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Ronnie O'Sullivan will not be part of the line-up for next week's German Masters. The 49-year-old, who has won the event on two occasions, has withdrawn due to "medical reasons". It follows on from The Rocket pulling out of the Championship League and the Masters, citing "exhaustion" for missing the latter. It means opponent Dylan Emery gets a bye into the last 32 of the tournament in Berlin.

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Ronnie O'Sullivan will not take part in next week's German Masters in Berlin, the World Snooker Tour have announced.

The tournament takes place at the Tempodrom in Berlin from January 27 to February 2, live on Eurosport and discovery+.

But The Rocket has withdrawn from the event due to "medical reasons".

He was due to play Dylan Emery for a place in the last 32, but the 23-year-old now gets a bye into the next round.

It is the seventh event this season O'Sullivan has pulled out of, and the third year in a row he has skipped the German Masters.

In a statement, the WST said: "Ronnie O'Sullivan has withdrawn from next week's Machineseeker German Masters due to medical reasons."

This is the third tournament The Rocket has pulled out of in 2025.

He first withdrew from the Championship League, just hours before he was due to face Ali Carter.

That was followed by missing the Masters, where O'Sullivan had been drawn to play old foe John Higgins in the first round.

At the time, the 49-year-old told Eurosport that he was "exhausted".

"Yeah, it was a nightmare decision to make," O'Sullivan said.

"You know, if you'd have asked me Sunday was I ready to play, I probably would have been OK to play, but it's such a massive tournament.

"I've obviously been on this three-week trip away playing and I just think I exhausted myself.

"[There was] a lot of pressure while I was away and I just think the build-up of all that kind of just got a bit too much really."

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O'Sullivan has won the German Masters on two previous occasions, most recently in 2012.

The defending champion in Berlin will be Judd Trump, who beat Si Jiahui 10-5 to lift the crown last year.

Stream top snooker action, including the German Masters on discovery+