London, May 3 (IANS) Ronnie O’Sullivan reached his sixth final at the snooker World Championship by storming to a 17-7 victory over Barry Hawkins in Sheffield.
O’Sullivan won the last four frames Friday night to finish his match against Hawkins without the need for a concluding session Saturday afternoon, reports Xinhua.
Having beaten Shaun Murphy 13-3 in the previous round, it’s the first time a player has won both his quarterfinal and semifinal in Sheffield with a session to spare since O’Sullivan himself saw off Anthony Hamilton 13-3 and Stephen Hendry 17-4 in 2004.
The 38-year-old will face either Mark Selby or Neil Robertson over 35 frames for the trophy and record 300,000 pounds top prize.
O’Sullivan will be aiming for his third straight world title, and sixth in all which would bring him level with Steve Davis and within one of Stephen Hendry’s record. He has never lost a final in Sheffield and will be heavy odds-on favourite to retain that perfect record.
“To have got such a comfortable result against Barry is great for me,” said O’Sullivan, who has already won four titles this season including the Masters.