Wuhan Open 2023: Mark Williams, Luca Brecel and Graeme Dott withdraw from ranking event in China

Mark Williams and Luca Brecel have become high-profile withdrawals from next week’s Wuhan Open.

David Gilbert pulled out earlier in the week, and Graeme Dott followed suit on Friday.

Gilbert withdrew in time to be replaced in the draw, with his place taken by Daniel Womersley.

The opponents of Brecel, Williams and Dott – Xing Zihao, Zhang Anda and Noppon Saengkham – have been handed byes into the next round.

The Wuhan Open, which gets underway on Monday, follows on the heels of the English Open – and Alan McManus had words of understanding for the decision to withdraw.

“You can understand Luca and Mark Williams, yes,” McManus said in the Eurosport studio during the quarter-finals of the English Open on Friday. “Graeme is looking for ranking points.

“I know that players will be criticised for this, but for Graeme for example it is a three-flight deal to Wuhan. It is tough.

“You get to Shanghai, and Wuhan is 500 miles west of Shanghai. You still have to take an internal flight.

“There is all that to take into consideration. You are talking about the best part of 30-36 hours to get there, it is a tough gig.”

Dott’s decision to withdraw came on the back of an agonising loss to Ricky Walden at the English Open.

The 2006 world champion was 3-0 up and 70 points to the good in the fourth frame of a best-of-seven clash.

Walden got the snookers he needed in the fourth and went on to secure a 4-3 victory.

Jimmy White suggested Dott’s decision to withdraw was partly to do with the shock of that defeat and the prospect of an arduous trip to China.

“That defeat and the thought of going to Wuhan, he probably thought he’d be better off having a break,” White said in the Eurosport studio.