Snooker: Giants set up last four battle

Ronnie O’Sullivan, the world champion, and Mark Williams, the world number one, will clash tomorrow in an eagerly awaited Thailand Masters semi-final in Bangkok after rapid-fire wins tonight.

Williams, with self-belief restored after capturing the China Open title five days ago, eased past Dubliner Fergal O’Brien 5-1.

But the Welsh left-hander, determined to complete the Far East double, will have his hands full against O’Sullivan, who remained on course for the £67,500 first prize with a 5-3 victory over Stephen Hendry.

Williams, who ended 17 months without a trophy by triumphing in Shanghai, said: ‘‘It was a big relief to finally win a tournament after so long and I think that’s why I’m playing reasonably well here. I’ve got nothing to worry about now.’’

Potting crisply from the start, Williams quickly established a 4-1 lead before putting the lid on his sixth win over O’Brien in seven attempts in bizarre fashion.

When Williams went in-off with only three colours remaining in the sixth frame, O’Brien elected to ask him to play again.

It proved the wrong decision as Williams drilled the blue down the side cushion and added the pink to extend his winning streak during a profitable fortnight on Asian soil to eight matches.

‘‘I’ll go to bed dreaming about that blue,’’ laughed Williams, who knows similar potting skills will be of enormous help against O’Sullivan.

Hendry, who edged O’Sullivan 5-4 when they met in the quarter-finals of the European Open in Malta three months ago, went into the mid-session interval of the re-match all square at 2-2 thanks to a 122 break - his 556th century in pro-competition and 20th of the season.

Adopting a policy of all out aggression in the second half, though, Hendry came unstuck.

O’Sullivan followed up on a couple of Hendry mistakes with runs of 63 and 72 to lead 4-2 and two frames later he scored his 18th win over the seven-time world champion in 33 meetings thanks to a 75 break.

‘‘It’s always good to get one over on an Ian Doyle player,’’ said O’Sullivan, who parted company with Doyle, Hendry’s manager and chairman of the 110sport stable, two seasons ago.

But while O’Sullivan could not resist a small dig, he also praised Hendry, a player for whom he has always had the utmost respect.

‘‘It’s nice to play Stephen. He plays the game how everyone wishes they could play. He’s silky smooth, hits the ball fantastic, attacks and scores heavily,’’ said O’Sullivan.

‘‘He plays it how it should be played. That’s why Stephen’s won 100 tournaments it is actually 72.

You know you have to play well yourself and make the most of your chances or he’ll punish you.’’

O’Sullivan, who needed only 86 minutes to advance, is looking for only his second title of the season, after the UK Championship, and his second in Bangkok after the 1996 Asian Classic.

In the other semi-final Stephen Lee, who constructed a personal best 144 total clearance on the way to beating defending champion Ken Doherty 5-4, will face Welshman Matthew Stevens.

After losing 5-3 to Stevens, and delivering a performance he classified as ‘‘terrible’’, Higgins said: ‘‘I’m just not enjoying the game.’’

This, only a day after O’Sullivan had said he cannot wait for the end of the season.

Williams could not believe his ears. ‘‘Even when I’ve been struggling I’ve always enjoyed playing in matches and competing on the circuit,’’ he said.

‘‘For people of say they can’t wait for the end of the season is crazy. There have been times when I haven’t looked forward to practice and I’ve been lazy but I’ve always got a buzz out of being involved in big tournaments.’’