Snooker: 'Retiring' O'Sullivan back in action

Ronnie O'Sullivan is due to return to competitive action tonight, nine days after the traumatic elimination from the World Championship that led to him questioning his future in the game.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is due to return to competitive action tonight, nine days after the traumatic elimination from the World Championship that led to him questioning his future in the game.

After losing 13-11 to Peter Ebdon in the Crucible quarter-finals, in a televised contest in which he disintegrated mentally and technically, O'Sullivan said he was likely to take a year out.

"It's not an irrational decision," said the world No 1, whose history of clinical depression has long disrupted his life. O'Sullivan explained that the "physical and mental pain" of the game was the reason behind a break, adding that the game was taking its toll. "It may be the case I'm saying goodbye," said the 29-year-old, hinting he might actually retire altogether.

Tonight's scheduled return to the baize, in the Premier League Snooker semi-finals, will be the first chance since Sheffield to gauge O'Sullivan's state of mind. He faces Stephen Hendry this evening in a match to be televised live on Sky for a place in tomorrow's final against either Mark Williams or Marco Fu.

The Premier League is an invitational round-robin event involving some of the world's top players. This season's PL, which began in January, has toured the country and concludes at the G-Mex Centre in Manchester. A PL spokesman confirmed that O'Sullivan is due to appear, and the player's spokesman, Vic Andrews, added: "As far as I'm aware, he's playing. This is his last commitment of the season and then he'll take time out and make a decision about his future."

The catalyst for O'Sullivan's demise against Ebdon was apparently Ebdon's snail-paced approach. That should not be a problem in Manchester. The PL has a 25-second limit per shot.