Ronnie O'Sullivan has admitted he is reluctant to bring his legendary snooker career to a close following a 6-3 defeat to Chang Bingyu in the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open.

The seven-time world champion fell short against the 24-year-old Chinese competitor on Friday, extending a drought that has left him without a ranking tournament victory since January 2024. Despite the setback and ongoing personal challenges, the 50-year-old Englishman stated that he intends to honor his playing commitments over the coming months.

O'Sullivan has spoken openly in recent years about his battles with depression and anxiety, frequently withdrawing from competitions to safeguard his mental well-being. Following his latest defeat, he acknowledged that his mental health struggles had resurfaced heavily during the match and expressed doubt that he would ever fully overcome the condition.

Looking ahead, O'Sullivan confirmed he plans to continue playing for the next year and a half to evaluate his future in the sport. He emphasized that he is eager to avoid concluding his illustrious career on the back of subpar displays.

During the semi-final encounter, O'Sullivan dropped the initial two frames before mounting a brief recovery to level the score at the mid-session interval. However, Chang seized the momentum after the restart, capturing consecutive frames to establish a 4-2 advantage.

Although O'Sullivan narrowed the deficit temporarily, Chang responded with decisive breaks of 69 and 48 to secure his maiden victory against the veteran nicknamed "The Rocket." Chang expressed his admiration for his opponent after the match, noting that facing O'Sullivan remains a privilege despite the Englishman's struggles with his rhythm on the table.

Chang advanced to face newly crowned world number one Zhao Xintong in Saturday's championship match. Zhao earned his place in the final by defeating Xiao Guodong 6-2, overcoming an early challenge before sealing the win with a dominant run of four consecutive frames, highlighted by a break of 124.

Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC Sport. Read the original report at BBC Sport.