Rocket roars into life

Ronnie O’Sullivan produced a golden hour of snooker to destroy Glasgow’s Stephen Maguire’s hopes of home town glory at the 12bet.com World Open.

The three-time former world champion lost the opening frame to breaks of 58 and 59 and then trailed 51-0 in the next, but he turned the match around with stunning runs of 81 and 116, and two of 62, to win the quarter-final clash 3-1.

Having made a 147 break in his opening match against Mark King, and then knocked out Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry, O’Sullivan claimed he might struggle to stay interested for the remainder of the tournament.

And when Maguire started so well tonight, the Englishman looked to be heading home.

But Maguire ran slightly out of position and missed a tricky red to the middle pocket, clipping the near jaw and presenting O’Sullivan with an unexpected chance.

The former world champion cleared up, and it was a sign of what was to come.

His third-frame century was O’Sullivan at his virtuoso best, containing 15 reds, 13 blacks and two blues, and it hardly mattered that he failed to add the final six colours.

Another century was on the cards in frame four, but O’Sullivan had to settle for his pair of 62 breaks as he set up a semi-final against Peter Ebdon tomorrow afternoon.