Ronnie O’Sullivan has secured his place in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters after a commanding 6-3 victory over China’s Ding Junhui on Thursday in Shanghai.
The 48-year-old defending champion showcased his exceptional skill with five breaks over 50 points, including an impressive 131 in the seventh frame. O’Sullivan’s performance extended his winning streak at the Shanghai Masters to 21 matches, keeping him on track for a fifth consecutive title at the tournament.
“I’m trying to see if there’s an appetite for me to go over and play pool at some point,” O’Sullivan said after the match. “I can’t keep playing snooker against the young guys, getting up for it, match-in-match-out. I don’t want to be playing just for the sake of it. I want to keep playing for the next 10-15 years, earning a living, having a good time.”
O’Sullivan will face fellow Englishman and world No. 2 Judd Trump in the semifinals on Saturday. Trump secured his spot by defeating China’s Si Jiahui 6-2 earlier on Thursday.
The other semifinal will also feature an all-English matchup as Mark Selby beat Pang Junxu 6-3 to set up a clash with Shaun Murphy, who overcame Zhou Yuelong 6-2.
“I feel like I’m one positional shot away every time, one bit of cue ball control from really scoring heavily,” Murphy commented. “I’ve not had any centuries yet in the 12 frames that I’ve won in the Shanghai Masters at the moment. I just keep making 60s, 70s, and 80s, and I suppose that’s good enough.”
“But I think I’ll need a bit more than that to get past my next opponent, up against my good mate Mark Selby,” he added. “We’ve had so many good matches over the years. Best of 19 semifinal out here, center stage, it’s not going to be one to miss.”
With the semifinals set, fans are eagerly anticipating the high-stakes encounters between some of snooker’s top talents in Shanghai.
Reference(s):
Ronnie O'Sullivan knocks out Ding Junhui at Shanghai Masters
cgtn.com
