Chris Wakelin speaks out on replacing Ronnie O’Sullivan at Masters: ‘It’s a shame’

Chris Wakelin admits it’s a shame for the fans as he steps in to replace Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Masters, but is looking to put on a show in the Rocket’s place.

The eight-time champion pulled out of the Alexandra Palace event on Friday night, citing medical reasons for his withdrawal.

O’Sullivan was due to face Neil Robertson in a blockbuster opening round match, but world number 17 Wakelin will take on the Australian on Wednesday night instead.

‘I got the call last night, just before it was officially announced,’ Wakelin told Metro on Saturday morning. ‘A very welcome phone call.

‘I was out running yesterday teatime and I didn’t take my phone with me and I thought, maybe I should be at home optimistically waiting, then an hour after I got back, the phone rang!’

A first round loss at Ally Pally is worth £25,000, while the winner will leave with £350,000, so it is a fantastic opportunity for Wakelin, although he is not letting it get in the way of his weekend plans.

‘I was supposed to be running a half marathon tomorrow,’ he said. ‘I think I’m still going to do it. I’ve got a friend who’s going to come and run it with me. We’re not out to break any world records, just around and get the miles in.’

It had looked likely O’Sullivan would play after securing the final slot in the first round schedule and spending time practicing with fellow pros in Ireland.

The 33-year-old accepts that fans will be disappointed to see him there instead of the Rocket, but will look to provide plenty of entertainment against the Thunder from Down Under.

‘Obviously he pulled out last year, but with me being at 17 [in the rankings], I thought this will be the year that he turns up!’ Wakelin said.

‘It’s a massive shame for the tournament and for the fans. There’s only one person who’s thrilled about it and luckily for me, that is me.

‘Obviously he’s got his reasons and I hope he’s alright. It’s tough when you don’t want to play or you’ve got stuff going on. It’s a shame for the fans, but I’ll be doing my best to put on a the show as his replacement.’

Wakelin comes into the Masters in fine form after winning the Scottish Open less than a month ago in Edinburgh.

He slipped out of the top 16 just at the wrong time, failing to qualify for the UK Championship and Masters, but his triumph in Scotland has returned him to the elite.

‘When I dropped out of the 16 for the UK, I thought to myself, “I’m not going to feel sorry for myself about it. Fair play to anyone that’s managed to get past me because I know what it takes to get there. If I want to get back in the 16, I’ve got to go and win something, as simple as that.”

‘So to go and win the next tournament and blast myself into the 16, it was testament to having that mindset of: “Do you know what? If you’ve got to get off your arse and go and get it, then that’s what we’ve got to do.”‘

Wakelin had a stressful build-up and start to his Scottish success, with his daughter being taken to hospital and suffering himself with pneumonia.

He scrapped through to the final and was thrilled with the heavy 9-2 defeat he dished out to Chang Bingyu to get his hands on the Stephen Hendry Trophy.

‘I managed to do what the top boys do,’ he said of the final. ‘They get into finals and the big moments and here comes the moment, here comes the man.

‘I managed to get on top of Bingyu early on and I put him in the pressure cooker. It’s something that the winners do on a regular basis. They get sight of that trophy and they run towards it with both hands. So, yeah, it was magic.’

Wakelin made his Masters debut last year under very difficult circumstances as his daughter was born eight weeks early and was still in hospital as he took on Luca Brecel in a first round defeat.

‘It was a brand new experience for me, playing in the biggest arena I’ve ever played in, which I really enjoyed, despite the fact that our baby was still in hospital, so I really wasn’t arsed about being there last year,’ he said.

‘That was the first day since she’d been born that I hadn’t seen her. So, in honestly, I really wasn’t bothered. If anything, I wanted to get home and be with my family.

‘But it’s totally different this year. We’re all doing well now. She’s happy and healthy and growing well. I’m tempted to bring her down because she was a good luck charm up in Edinburgh!’

Wakelin has beaten Robertson on the biggest stage of them all, downing the Aussie 10-8 in last season’s World Championship and fancies his chances of doing it again at the Masters.

‘We all know what he’s capable of, but I think people are starting to notice now that I’m capable of those sort of things as well,’ he said.

‘It’s been a long time coming. It’s been 10-12 years, trying to graft my nuts off and find my way of winning. I am now capable of doing it in these big matches in the big situations now. Being at the Masters, it doesn’t phase me.’

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