RONNIE O'SULLIVAN's nemesis has revealed he has been suffering from "excruciating pain" ahead of the World Championship.
Ali Carter is set to rekindle his rivalry with the Rocket at the Crucible on April 22 and 23 in the opening round.
Carter, 45, has a history with O'Sullivan following their famous "Snotgate" row in 2024.
But the Colchester cueman has revealed he has been nursing a horrible neck injury.
The pain from the injury even caused Carter to consider withdrawing from his match against Ian Burns.
He said: "If I had gone 6-3 behind, I was seriously going to withdraw, but I managed to keep myself in it 5-4.
"Then I went on and played some decent stuff in the night-time, but I was in agony.
"I really couldn’t tell you how it happened. It just came on to the extent where I literally had a coffee on Tuesday morning.
"I literally couldn’t move my neck at all. I couldn’t do anything.
"At the moment, I can just about roll my neck round.
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"But that stopped me shaking my head in my match, so it was a bit more of a professional attitude from me there.
"It impacts my sleep. Terrible. I have hardly slept for three days. Honestly.
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 - with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
Most World Titles (modern era)
"It was like someone giving you a Chinese burn, but on your neck. I lay that way. I lay this way."
Carter beat both Burns and He Guoqiang to book his spot at the Crucible.
He will have time to treat the problem before facing O'Sullivan in Sheffield.
He added: "I will go and see someone when I get back [home].
"I have Thursday and Friday to myself. I will get someone on the phone, don’t worry.
"Honestly, as you all know, I have been through a lot in my life, this pain was the most excruciating pain I have ever felt.
"My mate drove me here and every time we went over a bump, I was going 'Aaargh!'"
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