Ronnie has been speaking with Hector Nunns:

Ronnie O’Sullivan Admits He Needs To Carefully Manage Tennis Elbow Injury

Ronnie O’Sullivan admits he needs to carefully manage his tennis elbow injury in the coming days ahead of scheduled tournament appearances. 

The Rocket has been suffering with the condition in his right cueing arm for many months with it flaring up badly after his record-equalling seventh world title success at the Crucible in May. 

It troubled him throughout the summer, forcing the 46-year-old to withdraw from the European Masters event in Germany. 

O’Sullivan is keen to play in the revived Hong Kong Masters in October – a prestigious and lucrative invitation event in front of a huge crowd of up to 5,000. 

But before then he is entered in the new World Mixed Doubles later this month paired with record 12-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans – and then the British Open in Milton Keynes. 

O’Sullivan has not yet withdrawn from those tournaments on medical grounds raising hopes he will be at both – and he insists he would prefer to arrive in Hong Kong match-sharp. 

O’Sullivan said: “I have just got to rest it as much as I can so that has meant no gym as usual and no sports involving my arm. 

“Some days it feels like it is getting better and other days it feels like it isn’t but over six months to a year hopefully it be all okay. 

“I am doing everything I can to speed up the healing process but with some things you just can’t, you just have to go with nature. 

“It is a repetitive strain injury from doing that same thing with your arm playing the shots. It’s the same thing for tennis players and golfers. It has got nothing to do with those sports as such, that’s just the name given to it.

“It needs to heal. I had managed it for 10 months and it was okay up until the end of May and then I went in the gym and went a bit bananas. 

“I have played a few exhibitions and did the Championship League early this season but it was getting so painful I couldn’t play any power shots which is no good for competition. 

“I still hope to play the mixed doubles and also the British Open. For me Hong Kong is the most important tournament coming up in the calendar, it’s a great event.  

“But obviously ideally I’d like a tune-up before heading there and after the mixed doubles we are into the British. That will give me something to practise for and I hope to play in them.  

“I had pain before but it was manageable, and then I just overdid it. Getting older I just have to get smarter and realise I can’t do what I used to, but I have some really good people taking care of it. 

“And it’s not been terrible! I have had a couple of nice holidays and enjoyed the time off. This season I will just play what I can.” 

The world mixed doubles at Milton Keynes will feature in addition to the O’Sullivan/Evans pairing the teams of Neil Robertson and reigning world champion Mink Nutcharut, Mark Selby and Rebecca Kenna, and Judd Trump and three-time women’s world champion Ng On-Yee. 

The tournament, to be played over two days at the Marshall Arena, will first see a round-robin group played out in best-of-four frame matches. And the teams finishing in the top two places will contest the final on the evening of September 25th. 

O’Sullivan and Evans are good friends having regularly played and gone on the road together on the Legends Tour. 

And then in the British Open ranking event starting on September 26th at the same venue presuming he is fit to take part the Rocket has been drawn to face Switzerland’s Alexander Ursenbacher in the first round carried over from qualifying to the venue. 

The British Open was revived last year after a gap of 17 years – and played at the Morningside Arena in Leicester was won by Wales’ Mark Williams. 

After that just the top six players in the world as per the rankings at the end of the World Championships head for Hong Kong where they will be joined by On-Yee and the men’s local hero Marco Fu in an elite eight-player draw.  

Robertson, Selby, Trump, John Higgins and Zhao make up the field. Kyren Wilson is the unlucky man to miss out having got into the top six since Sheffield. 

So, that’s a bit of “mixed feelings” inducing news but there is no choice really. Obviously, provided Ronnie is able to play in the British Open, we shouldn’t expect too much especially as Alex Ursenbacher isn’t the easiest opponent at the best of times, never mind when coming in cold and under-prepared.