RONNIE O'SULLIVAN AND STEPHEN MAGUIRE HAVE BOTH PULLED OUT OF THE WORLD GRAND PRIX DUE TO HEALTH CONCERNS, AND MARK ALLEN ISN'T HAPPY ABOUT WHO'S REPLACED THEM IN THE

TOURNAMENT 12:09, 04 Mar 2025 Mark Allen is calling for changes to tournament entry regulations after two players ranked outside the top 32 on the one-year list were drafted in to compete at

the World Grand Prix. Event organisers had to make sudden adjustments when Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Maguire withdrew due to health issues. Hossein Vafaei and Ben Woollaston were

brought in as replacements despite the event's spots being reserved for those meeting the ranking criteria. Allen believes it is unfair that these two players now have a shot at prize

in line??? Both Ronnie and Mags have earned their 10k." As Allen engaged with fans in the comments section of his post, he suggested a potential compromise: allowing replacement players

to compete for prize money but not ranking points. He also said he's open to the idea of granting a walkover to the original opponent of a withdrawn player. "All those not in the

top 32 on the one-year list have had their chance to qualify and haven't done so," the 39-year-old wrote. The World Grand Prix kicked off in Hong Kong on Tuesday, with Jack

Lisowski securing victory over Zhang Anda, while Stuart Bingham defeated three-time world champion Mark Williams. Allen is set to begin his campaign against Jimmy Robertson on Wednesday.

O'Sullivan's withdrawal was a significant setback for both tournament organisers and fans eager to see "The Rocket" in action. The seven-time world champion has pulled

out of multiple events since his last competitive appearance in early January, and he is unlikely to return until the World Snooker Championship in April. Article continues below "I am

very disappointed not to be competing," he admitted. "I had been eager to make my comeback in Hong Kong and have put in my utmost effort but unfortunately must consider my health.

I wish to sincerely thank the organisers and all the Hong Kong fans for their support." The withdrawals of O'Sullivan and Scottish snooker ace Maguire come just months after the

former had appealed to World Snooker for a dedicated individual to keep an eye on the welfare of the sport's stars. "I think World Snooker should have somebody," he said.

"In football, they have masseuses, people sorting out injuries. I think snooker should have someone at the tournament employed as like if someone is struggling, they’ve come off the

table, ‘do you need 10 minutes with someone?' "I’m not saying everyone will go in there but I just think a lot of players suffer in silence basically. I can tell, just look at them

and they’re struggling. They should have someone to go and talk to. Article continues below "I think that's so important," he added. "You have coaches sorting your

correction out but really you need someone just to unload a bit. I think it would really help the players."