O'Sullivan eases into Snooker Masters final

LONDON: Ronnie O’Sullivan remained on course for a record-extending eighth Snooker Masters crown, after brushing aside Shaun Murphy 6-2 in the semfinal at Alexandra Palace, reaching his 14th final at the Masters.

Saturday's showdown was the first time O’Sullivan and Murphy have crossed cues in the Masters, having surprisingly avoided each other in snooker’s biggest invitational event during their storied careers.

O’Sullivan’s win enhanced his already dominant head-to-head record against Murphy. He now leads his fellow Englishman 14-3 in meetings between the pair.

Despite his remarkable record in the Masters, 40-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan hasn’t lifted the title in North London since 2017, when he defeated Joe Perry in then final. His last trip to the title match saw him suffer defeat at the hands of Judd Trump in 2019.

Either Mark Allen or Ali Carter will now be standing in the Rocket’s way, when the Sunday's final takes place with a top prize of £250,000 and the Paul Hunter Trophy on the line.

However, the defeat ended Murphy’s quest for a second Masters crown, following his victory in 2015. However, the Magician can reflect on a good week, which included fine wins over debutant Zhang Anda and Jack Lisowski.

Both players had chances in an edgy opening frame this afternoon, but it was O’Sullivan who eventually took it, before claiming the second to move 2-0 ahead.

Murphy fired in a sublime 131 to take the third frame and gain a foothold in the match. However, O’Sullivan won a 27-minute third to edge further in front at 3-1 heading into the mid-session.

After the interval, a break of exactly 100 pulled Murphy within a frame at 3-2, before O’Sullivan charged to the line. Runs of 90, 71 and 62 were enough to give him three on the bounce and wrap up a dominant 6-2 victory.