Ronnie O'Sullivan reveals he's leaving the UK for a 'new life' in shock country after losing to Zhao Xintong at World Snooker Championship

Ronnie O'Sullivan crashed out of the World Snooker Championship on Friday and has announced that he plans to head for pastures new.

The seven-time world champion played in the tournament in Sheffield despite taking time out of the game beforehand and wrestled throughout with cue tips and ferrules that distracted from both his potting and positional play.

He admitted after reaching the semi-finals that he hadn't been playing well and hadn't yet been tested by an opponent in good enough form to capitalise.

O'Sullivan's problems continued into his last four match against former UK champion Zhao Xintong, something of a protege of the Englishman and a player who was sure to punish his mentor if he wasn't on his game.

Zhao produced a wonderful display and won the semi-final with a session to spare thanks largely to an 8-0 whitewash in the second session on Friday morning.

While the 28-year-old Chinese star will face either Mark Williams or Judd Trump in Sunday's final at the Crucible, O'Sullivan has told BBC Sport of his plans to relocate.

"I think I am going to be moving out of the UK this year," said the Rocket.

"I'll be moving away to the Middle East. We'll see how it goes – I might be back in six months.

"A new life somewhere else. I don't know how that is going to pan out.

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

"It is a big part of my life but I have to try and figure out what my future looks like, whether it's playing or not."

Ronnie O'Sullivan and Zhao Xintong shared a warm embrace following the match (Image: Getty)

O'Sullivan, who has links with Saudi Arabia and owns a snooker academy there, has often had a difficult relationship with snooker despite being its greatest ever practitioner.

The 49-year-old was full of praise for Zhao, who describes the Rocket as his 'idol', after Friday's third session.

A first-time Crucible finalist, Zhao is on his own path back to form after serving a suspension from snooker for his part in a match-fixing scandal involving ten Chinese players.

He will play his second ever match in the Crucible's single-table set-up on Sunday and Monday, seeking to add what would be a spectacular World Championship win to the 2021 UK Championship crown.