Ronnie O'Sullivan drops out of world's top 16 for first time in career O'Sullivan, now 36, joined the game's elite 19 years ago but is now out of the leading group. That comes as a result of his self-imposed delayed start to the snooker season, with his stalling over signing a player's contract meaning he missed the Shanghai Masters, the Australian Open and the Wuxi Classic. His participation in ranking events remains, though, as he is automatically seeded second as a result of his Crucible win. He will play at the International Championship in China next month. O'Sullivan now sits 17th, with Mark Selby first, Judd Trump second and John Higgins up from fifth to third after his Shanghai win over Trump. Earlier this month, O'Sullivan was beaten by Simon Bedford, the world No 76, at the Players Tour Championship as he returned to the snooker tour four months after winning at the Crucible.