2025 World Snooker Championship: Assured O’Sullivan strikes previous Si into Crucible semi-final

Having not performed competitively since snapping his cue on the Championship League in January, O’Sullivan expressed reservations over his potential to be aggressive when he arrived in Sheffield.

Nevertheless, after seeing the likes of Mark Selby, Mark Allen and Kyren Wilson depart early from his facet of the draw, he’s now only one win away from a ninth Crucible ultimate.

And on this proof he might take some stopping, regardless of his solutions that he has been the beneficiary of his opponents’ shortcomings.

Whereas the errors from his victories over Ali Carter and Pang Junxu have been nonetheless current in opposition to Si, significantly from lengthy vary, no one as but has proven themselves able to ruthlessly exposing them.

Si, a semi-finalist as lately as 2023, was left to rue a number of missed alternatives to take frames after being introduced probabilities after which discovered that his opponent was just too assured as soon as handed a great alternative of his personal.

“He performed poor and let me off the hook,” O’Sullivan mentioned.

“I bought fortunate once more. I’ve tried to present it my finest and I’m simply hanging in there.

“I’ve relied on different folks to win and that does not really feel good for me. I all the time really feel higher once I drive the opening and put the stress on my opponents. You are feeling so much higher whenever you’ve received the match slightly than they’ve misplaced it.

“Have a look at Judd and Mark [Williams] and Zhao, I will not be capable to get away with the usual I’ve performed the final three matches at.”