Snooker: O'Sullivan into quarter-finals after Finbow withdraws

Ronnie O'Sullivan reached the quarter-finals of the UK Championship in York after his opponent Dave Finbow withdrew due to an anxiety attack.

The world champion won all eight frames of their first session to leave himself just one away from victory.

But in front of the television cameras Finbow endured a traumatic time and later announced he would not be returning to finish the match on Tuesday.

Finbow, the world number 47 from Worcester, had already announced his intention to retire at the end of the season because of his health problems.

"I didn't feel too bad before I went out, but towards the end of the first frame I realised something wasn't quite right," said Finbow.

"It's hard to describe what happened. As the match went on I felt dizzy and nauseous - it felt like I didn't have a cue in my hand and I couldn't see the pockets or the angles.

"It's never been anywhere near as bad as this before - it's always come and gone. But by the third or fourth frame I knew it wouldn't get any better and I just wanted to get out of there. It was surreal - it just wasn't me.

"I went back to my hotel room and slept for four hours, and I woke up with a thumping headache.

"I think the fact it was such a big match had something to do with it, although I've played 60 or 70 TV matches.

"I've read up quite a bit about it and tried medication and acupuncture, but nothing seems to help. In the last three or four weeks I've decided I must stop playing snooker for the sake of my own health and sanity."