Mark Williams will meet Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-finals of the Liverpool Victoria UK Championships in Bournemouth, after his 9-2 victory over Ireland’s Fergal O’Brien tonight. The Welsh left-hander overwhelmed O'Brien in a match that failed to capture the imagination after Williams began today’s session with an unassailable 6-2 lead.
“I missed a lot of shots, but you can't play well in every match,” said the unconcerned title-holder who has still dropped only six frames in three matches. “It should have been 4-4 after the first session yesterday, so I was delighted with 6-2. It doesn't really bother me that it's Ronnie next. I try to focus the same whoever I play,” he added.
Williams certainly did not fear a comeback of the magnitude that saw Dubliner O'Brien beat Matthew Stevens 9-8 after being 7-2 down. He potted green to pink to win the first frame of the night, took a marathon 47-minute affair in the 10th and then knocked in a break of 44 to complete the formalities. “As hard as I tried nothing really happened,” said world number nine O'Brien.
Meanwhile, Ronnie O'Sullivan dedicated his latest victory to the woman he describes as `super gran'. O'Sullivan delighted a packed crowd at the Bournemouth International Centre, which included his nan Isabella, by coming from behind to beat extrovert Australian Quinten Hann 9-5.
“She's a fantastic lady and it's great that she can come down and watch my matches,” said the world number three after joining John Higgins in the last four. Hann also spent much of a sparkling final session watching from the sidelines as O'Sullivan closed in on another major prize.
The 23-year-old Aussie made a break of 78 to regain the lead at 5-4 in a match where he had been 4-2 up on Wednesday. But O'Sullivan, who looked uncomfortable and out of sorts 24 hours earlier, suddenly cut loose to gain control. In a dazzling three-frame session O'Sullivan outscored Hann 279 points to nil with breaks of 90, 122 and 93. Hann halted the flood of points with his own run of 41 but he missed a routine black and back came O'Sullivan with 93. He added 59 in the 14th frame and his fourth final of the season is now within touching distance.
Haan, impressed by the skill of his victor added: “It will be a crime if Ronnie doesn't win this tournament. To me he is the best player in the world and has an ability to make someone look very ordinary. He's beaten me four times in a row now and that's not on. But I exceeded my expectations coming here. My goal was just to reach the second round.”(PA)
Filed by Shane Murray
