O’Sullivan dispels Dott doubts

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN put a lack of self-belief behind him to take command of his 888.com World Championship semi-final with Graeme Dott at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield last night.

O’Sullivan went into the best-of-33 frame encounter claiming he had “the least confidence of the four semi-finalists in terms of winning the tournament” but earned a 5-3 advantage.

He said: “Every player still in this tournament thinks they are going to win. If you could measure confidence and self-belief, I’d be last down the pecking order. I know I can produce the goods. I’m just lacking self belief.”

The Rocket has also been plagued with tip trouble during the past fortnight and had the 11th different one on his cue when facing the Scot, whom he had beaten in the 2004 final.

The two-time world champion did not fire on all cylinders in the early stages but gradually started to find his touch as Dott clearly became increasingly frustrated after a bright opening.

Dott had been 5-0 up in that encounter with O’Sullivan two years ago before losing 18-8, and he made a positive statement of intent in the opening frame.

O’Sullivan played a poor safety shot and Dott took full advantage by knocking in a long red to launch a splendid 121 break to the final pink.

The next was scrappy and lasted more than half an hour before O’Sullivan’s run of 34 helped bring him back on level terms.

O’Sullivan showed his frustration at missing a straightforward red in frame three and banged his cue against his hand, which he rubbed ruefully when back in his seat.

Dean Martin fan Dott again demonstrated he was on song as he took full advantage with a 68 break, but it was all downhill after that for the Scot.

The last frame before the interval produced no sizeable breaks but saw O’Sullivan draw level for the second time.

O’Sullivan was still below his best but he edged in front for the first time via a 66 on the resumption.

A 63 in the next doubled his advantage, although a downcast-looking Dott surprisingly conceded when there were still enough points available to draw level.

O’Sullivan made it five frames-in-a-row in the next, with the aid of a run of 47 which left Dott requiring snookers.

Dott managed to stop the rot in the final frame of the session with a 70 to the final pink.

The opening session of the Peter Ebdon-Marco Fu semi-final was an attritional affair and the players shared the eight frames which occupied nearly four hours.

Fu is rapidly becoming snooker’s marathon man. He had been involved in a 59-minute frame — the longest of the 2006 tournament — during a quarter-final win over Ken Doherty that spanned nearly nine hours.

And it was a similar scenario against 2002 title holder Ebdon, with the sixth frame in the best-of-33 contest lasting nearly 53 minutes.

Fu showed he has the temperament for such battles by triumphing on both occasions, and perhaps that is an indication of the influence on his game of former world champion and coach Terry Griffiths, who was renowned for his patient approach.

An 81 in frame one was Fu’s highest break of the session, while Ebdon’s top contribution was a 56 in the next. Play will resume tomorrow morning.

Former player and BBC commentator John Virgo said: “If every match was like this, it would not be the best advert for snooker. It has become bogged down and become a war of attrition. The players will be as frustrated as anyone else.”

Whether Fu, a 125-1 outsider at the beginning of the event, can retain the high levels of concentration required against an experienced performer like Ebdon over four gruelling sessions will become evident over the next 48 hours.