LUCA BRECEL is out of the World Open due to medical reasons.
A the Belgian ace has been joined on the absentee list by Ricky Walden, who has recently been in hospital.
The pair will not travel to Yushan for the first Chinese event of 2025, which is set to start next week.
Brecel, 29, was set to face Tian Pengfei in the round of 64, while Walden would have played Ryan Day.
Their opponents will now receive a bye to the last 32 of the tournament.
Tian is currently 70th in the end-of-season ranks, and the bye could be important for him.
Walden, 42, was rushed to hospital in January and had to withdraw from the German Masters.
The Stamina Man did make his return in the Welsh Open but was beaten by Matthew Selt in the last 64.
Brecel reached the semi-final in Wales, but his run was put to an end by eventual tournament winner Mark Selby.
They are not the only two stars that will miss out on the action in Yushan
Ronnie O’Sullivan, 49, has also withdrawn from the tournament on medical grounds.
The Rocket has not played since he was beaten in the UK Championship in York in November.
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In this time he has withdrawn from six tournaments in total and not featured in 2025.
He apologised to fans after he backed out of the Welsh Open.
He said: “I realise plenty of people who bought tickets to some recent snooker events will have been frustrated when I withdrew.
“So I just wanted to say sorry to those of you who’ve been disappointed with me having to pull out of those tournaments.
“I’ve been trying to prioritise my health and well-being, which sometimes means making last-minute decisions not to play.
“It’s never an easy decision and I hate letting people down.
“I’m doing what I can to get back to my best, and I’m grateful for all your support and understanding.”
The tournament in Yushan, China, starts on Sunday and the winners’ purse is £175,000.
Though the Yushan Sport Centre is one of the world’s most lavish venues for snooker, with dozens of beautiful tables, it is situated in a remote part of China that is very difficult to access.