Ronnie O'Sullivan flies into World Snooker Championship semi-finals

Ronnie O’Sullivan produced a stunning fightback to beat Mark Williams 13-10 and progress to the World Snooker Championship semi-finals.

The Rocket finished the first session 6-2 down and looked in terrible trouble, but produced some sensational snooker over the two sessions on Tuesday to down the Welshman.

The five-time world champion knocked in two centuries in the afternoon session en route to levelling the scores up at 8-8 and took plenty of momentum into the evening’s final session.

Williams was not to be swatted aside and fought hard, but he trying to hold back an O’Sullivan tide, which is close to an impossibility on the snooker table.

Two more centuries from the Rocket in the final session, including an immense 133, helped him over the line and into the semi-finals where he will face his old foe Mark Selby, getting over the line through a re-spotted black in the final frame.

It is the first time Ronnie has gone past the quarter-finals at the Crucible since he was beaten by Selby in the 2014 final.

The first two sessions produced completely opposite results, with each man claiming a session 6-2 to leave the match level at 8-8 coming into the finale.

Williams had been excellent on Monday afternoon to develop a substantial lead over the Rocket and piling the pressure on the bookmakers’ favourite to win the match.

O’Sullivan was not rattled though, returning the following day and looking in fantastic fettle. He made two centuries and two half-centuries as he looked near his unbeatable best to drag the match back to level-pegging.

All the momentum was with the Rocket going into the final session but Williams was up for the fight, winning the first on Tuesday evening, losing the next, but claiming the 19th frame to go 10-9 ahead.

The Welshman was digging in, but it felt like O’Sullivan was hitting his stride at just the right time and it proved to be so. Ronnie made 104 to go level again and then two 60+ breaks to take the lead at 11-10.

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