Ronnie O'Sullivan says he may pull out of this week's Championship League snooker tournament in Milton Keynes if it doesn't feel safe to be there.
The event at the Marshall Arena Complex is being played behind closed doors, with many protocols in place to allay Covid-19 fears.
All players and officials have to pass a coronavirus test before playing, while they are also all staying on-site. Other measures like gloves, hand sanitiser, and social distancing are being enforced rigorously at the English venue.
Five-time world champion O'Sullivan is to get his tournament underway on Friday in the last-64 opening round against Chris Wakelin, Michael Georgiou, and Kishan Hirani.
💬 “It is probably the safest place on planet Earth. You are probably more at risk going to the shops."@sless147 and @daveg147 take us behind the scenes from the player's perspective at the https://t.co/0mCRoqdsmX Championship League.
👉 https://t.co/pMnvLo4G4m@CLSnooker pic.twitter.com/KYbCq5Oxwk— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) June 3, 2020
However, 'The Rocket' has told UK media that his place in the event will depend on a number of factors, including his ability to eat his own prepared food.
“So as long as my desire to stay healthy was respected and I could take my own food, once I heard of the other measures being taken I was happy to play.
“I don’t trust people cooking my own food at the hotel during these times. I have been told that will be okay, but you never know until you arrive there and see what happens.
“If I feel the food situation is not right and I am not allowed to bring in my own pre-prepared stuff, I will feel my health is the most important.
“I don’t mind cold food so I’ll bring some chickpea curry along, or some chicken and make some salad and vegetables.
"Until there is a vaccine you are going to be anxious and have worries, and not take risks. So when I get there, hopefully I feel safe, and if I don’t and I’m not happy, then my health has to come first and I could leave."
O'Sullivan, who is the only player in history to have over 1000 century breaks in competition, says he has been careful about germs and excessive hand-shaking long before the global pandemic started.
"I asked about the food before I agreed to play. I explained that I have had no one touch my food for the last 10 weeks. I haven’t had takeaways, or let anyone else cook for me. I wouldn’t trust anyone else doing it right now.
"I will cook it at home, take it there, there’s a fridge in the room, and it’s only a day and a half. That would be a deal-breaker for me, I am funny about it. They said it would be fine, but let’s wait and see on the day.
“I was the first person to stop shaking hands anyway well before the outbreak, and I’ll do that until the end of my career now. I’ll use the elbow when we can, that’s a good one.
“I have been careful about not touching certain things, like door handles, for three or four years.
“I haven’t had a COVID-19 test up to now, so that will happen I think on Thursday. And if I fail, then it’s straight back home and isolation somewhere else, and back running where I can.
“I have been very careful anyway who I have seen over the last two or three months, maybe two people other than who I am living with.
“I have taken social distancing very seriously, I really don’t want to get ill. That message got through to me.”
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