O'Sullivan facing China crisis

Ronnie O’Sullivan believes he is capable of winning the remaining three titles of the season even though he could still withdraw from the forthcoming China Open in Beijing.

The world champion and world number one already has three titles to his name and is through to the quarter-finals of the Fáilte Irish Masters.

Kent left-hander Gerard Greene stands between the Rocket and the last four. And it will be a shock if O’Sullivan does not record his third win of the Citywest Hotel-staged event.

A heavy cold that almost caused him to pull out of his opening match against Stephen Maguire is drying up and his mind is focused on further domination of the sport.

“I feel I can win every tournament I enter where as last season at this stage I did not feel the same way,” explained the Essex star last night after his 5-4 win over Barry Hawkins.

“Last season I was gearing up to do well at the world championship and did not want to win the last couple of tournaments before Sheffield. I just went to Ireland and Scotland for practice but now I feel different.”

However, in the next breath contrary O’Sullivan suggested he may boycott the Far East tournament starting on March 27.

“I will probably make a decision a couple of days before I go,” he explained. “I think if you ask most players they would rather not go to China with the world championship so near.

“In fairness, the governing body had to arrange it fairly quickly. And I am sure next season they would put it in a different place on the calendar.

“It would be a lot better to go to China, then come to Ireland and then go to Sheffield. So, I have not made up my mind.”

O’Sullivan claimed at the Welsh Open back in January he would not be tempted to China for a €43,000 first prize.

Last night he claimed: “It is not really about the money because I am not short of a bob or two. It would not really matter if it was £60 or £70,000.

“It is all about going all that way and only having five or six days’ preparation for the world championship.”

Greene’s chances of an upset will not be helped by the tournament switching to best-of-11-frame matches for the quarter-finals.

But he is full of confidence after inflicting only the fourth ever ranking event whitewash of Ken Doherty's career.

However, the duo do not meet until tomorrow and first it is the turn of giantkillers Dave Harold and Robert Milkins to do battle.

Harold followed up his deciding-frame win against Peter Ebdon with a 5-4 victory over 42-year-old Jimmy White. The Stoke potter came from 4-1 down to knock out Ebdon while he only needed to recover from 4-3 in arrears against the Whirlwind.

Milkins added to the pain of ailing Yorkshireman Paul Hunter with a 5-2 victory.

“I must have won eight of my 10 frames through my safety this week. The last time I reached the quarter-finals of a ranking tournament (the 2004 Welsh Open) I made about five centuries.

“This time I have only had about two 50s,” smiled the Gloucester professional, the world number 28. But in a different way I am still playing well and it is all about getting results.”

The opening quarter-final this afternoon features seven times world champion Stephen Hendry against former UK and Masters champion Matthew Stevens.