Ronnie O’Sullivan’s pursuit of an eighth Masters crown continues as he takes on Shaun Murphy for a spot within the last.
O’Sullivan hit the headlines after describing the Alexandra Palace venue as “disgusting” after his quarter-final win over Barry Hawkins, and the 48-year-old was removed from his greatest in a 6-3 victory, admitting afterwards that he had been lucky to progress whereas additionally revealing he had been battling sickness.
Nonetheless, ‘The Rocket’ powered by way of to arrange an encounter with a fellow former champion. It’s now 9 years since Murphy accomplished his profession Triple Crown with victory on the Masters, however two high-class centuries in his personal 6-3 quarter-final win over Jack Lisowski confirmed the boldness and rhythm he might want to problem O’Sullivan.
The winner of the match will play both Ali Carter or Mark Allen, who meet afterward Saturday, in Sunday’s last.
Observe reside protection of the semi-final beneath:
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Shaun Murphy – reside updates
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Ronnie O’Sullivan is our best sportsman – and essentially the most devastatingly trustworthy
There’s a scene in Fringe of Every little thing, the brand new documentary about Ronnie O’Sullivan, that gives as sharp an evaluation as you’ll ever see of the pressures of top-level sport. It’s from footage taken in his dressing room in the course of the last of the 2022 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
At 46, O’Sullivan is poised to turn out to be the oldest winner of the title in historical past. However as he takes a break within the scrabble to beat his opponent Judd Trump, he’s behaving much less like a seasoned veteran and extra like a panicked teenager, stomping across the room in complete dismay, near tears in his frustration.
“F*** me Steve,” he tells his resident psychiatrist coach Dr Steve Peters. “I’m bashed up right here mate. What do I do?”
The hole between O’Sullivan’s apparently serene progress to gaining his record-breaking seventh world title and what was happening in his head on the time is what makes him such an enchanting character. Even higher, such is his garrulous lack of worldly concern, he has lengthy been very happy to allow us to, his military of admirers, get a glimpse of what’s taking place beneath the bonnet. For a lot of his extraordinary profession dominating and defining his sport, it’s virtually as if, for this sophisticated, troubled, challenged particular person, we’re a part of the method of remedy. That he must share the burden to be able to keep one step forward.
Learn Jim White’s evaluation of the snooker legend:
Luke Baker13 January 2024 12:58
Ronnie O’Sullivan documentary lays naked his snooker habit and flaws in stark distinction to Beckham collection
There are a selection of eye-opening moments within the new Ronnie O’Sullivan documentary, The Fringe of Every little thing, which lays naked one of the advanced and compelling characters in sport and a lifelong battle together with his personal genius. However one scene is especially placing, when O’Sullivan and his dad and mom keep in mind his father’s arrest and sentencing for homicide.
“I don’t wish to speak about this as a result of it’s not honest on the those who have misplaced their son,” says Ronnie O’Sullivan Sr, of the evening he stabbed Bruce Bryan to dying in a membership on Chelsea’s King’s Street and injured Bruce’s brother Kelvin. “I do know I took that man’s life and I do know I damage the opposite one … I’m nonetheless alive, thank God, but when I hadn’t executed what I’d executed, I’d be lifeless.”
Learn Lawrence Ostlere’s evaluation of the Ronnie O’Sullivan documentary, The Fringe of Every little thing:
Luke Baker13 January 2024 12:52
Ronnie O’Sullivan criticises ‘disgusting’ Alexandra Palace venue earlier than Masters semi-final
The 159-year-old venue in north London has hosted the Masters match since 2012 and has additionally staged the PDC World Darts Championship since 2008, the place Luke Littler surprised the game together with his run to the ultimate final week.
However O’Sullivan just isn’t impressed by taking part in at Alexandra Palace and mentioned after his 6-3 win over Barry Hawkins on Thursday: “I simply don’t like this place. I discover it disgusting.
“In all places is soiled. It’s chilly. It’s freezing, I’ve to put on my coat in all places. You undergo automobile parks. There are bins. Actually, it simply makes me really feel ailing.”
Luke Baker13 January 2024 12:47
Ronnie O’Sullivan overcomes sickness to grind previous Barry Hawkins at Masters
Ronnie O’Sullivan relished the prospect of a “huge, soiled curry” after grinding out a 6-3 win over Barry Hawkins in a Masters quarter-final that lacked spice.
The seven-time Masters winner seemed beneath the climate as he wore a thick coat for his post-match TV interview, muttering: “I fancy a curry – an enormous, soiled curry. There’s nothing I don’t like.”
In a match awash with errors from each gamers, O’Sullivan kicked off with a break of 88 however needed to wait till the penultimate body to publish his subsequent half-century, a 60 to maneuver one body from victory, earlier than wrapping it up with a break of 77
O’Sullivan mentioned he had been “fortunate to get by way of” to what will likely be his fifteenth look within the semi-finals of the Masters.
“I felt unhealthy for Barry, I simply dragged him all the way down to my stage. It’s a humorous previous recreation,” O’Sullivan advised BBC Sport. “I didn’t really feel any stress in any respect to be trustworthy, perhaps that’s why I performed like I did. I believe you want that stress typically to get you motivated.
Luke Baker13 January 2024 12:42
Mark Allen produces second most of the Masters in slender win over Mark Selby
Mark Allen registered the second 147 of this 12 months’s Masters as he edged previous Mark Selby 6-5 and into the semi-finals.
After shedding the primary two frames, Allen bought off the mark by producing one other most so as to add to Ding Junhui’s within the opening spherical at Alexandra Palace, the third of the Northern Irishman’s profession.
Selby subsequently moved 4-1 forward earlier than Allen claimed 4 frames in a row, together with a break of 103, to take the lead.
After Selby introduced issues stage once more, Allen took the ultimate body to guide a semi-final conflict with Ali Carter.
Luke Baker13 January 2024 12:37
Masters snooker schedule
First spherical (better of 11 frames)
Quarter-finals (better of 11 frames)
Semi-finals (better of 11 frames)
Last (better of 19 frames)
Luke Baker13 January 2024 12:32
What’s the Masters prize cash?
Right here’s how a lot the gamers will earn at Ally Pally this week:
Highest break prize: £15,000
Complete prize pot: £725,000
Luke Baker13 January 2024 12:25
When is the Masters and tips on how to watch?
When is the match?
The Masters begins on Sunday 7 January at Alexandra Palace, and the ultimate will likely be performed on Sunday 14 January.
The right way to watch
All the match will likely be broadcast on Eurosport and Discovery+, that are the rights holders in Eire and the remainder of Europe. Some matches will even be proven on BBC TV channels.
Viewers can stream the motion on-line through the BBC Sport and BBC iPlayer web sites and apps, in addition to the Eurosport and Discovery+ web site and apps.
Luke Baker13 January 2024 12:17
Masters snooker schedule and order of play right now
Snooker returns to our screens in 2024 with the Masters at Alexandra Palace, one of many sport’s jewels within the Triple Crown.
The Masters is at all times a particular occasion because the world’s greatest 16 gamers go up in opposition to each other in a straight knockout format.
There are a number of different previous winners on this 12 months’s match. Mark Selby has three Masters titles; John Higgins, Neil Robertson and Williams have all gained it twice; Ding Junhui, Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen and Trump all have one title every.
Right here is the whole lot it’s good to know concerning the 2024 Masters.
Luke Baker13 January 2024 12:14
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Shaun Murphy
Good afternoon and welcome to The Impartial’s reside protection of the Masters snooker from Alexandra Palace. The dart boards have been packed away and the baize snooker desk erected at Ally Pally for the primary occasion of the 12 months.
And now we have a cracking semi-final this afternoon with the ever-popular Ronnie O’Sullivan going through one of many sport’s different big-hitters, Shaun Murphy.
Stick to us for full reside protection.
Luke Baker13 January 2024 12:14