John Parrott has today withdrawn from next week’s China Open tournament due to medical reasons. Click below to read what this means for his ranking and his scheduled opponent in Beijing…
Having qualified for the venue with victories over Robert Stephen and Stuart Bingham, John was set to meet wildcard Cao Xinlong for the right to face former world champion Shaun Murphy in the last 32. It has been announced today however that he will not be able to travel to China as a result of problems with his back and neck, and as a result Xinlong will receive a bye to play Murphy in the first round.
What this also does is confirm that John will now lose his top 48 place in the rankings at the end of the season, slipping to 53rd place as it stands. It was always going to be an uphill struggle even if he had made the trip to China as he would have needed a quarter-final place at least to secure enough points and perhaps this has played a part in his decision.
Starting next season 57th on the one-year list and short of form, 2009/10 will be an important season for John now as for the first time his tour status is very much under threat…