O’Sullivan eyes snooker’s top prize at Crucible

Ronnie O’Sullivan is one match closer to a potential fourth world title today as he goes through to the snooker World Championship quarter-finals after beating Mark Williams 13-10. After an enthralling – and close-fought - 16 frames on Sunday, O’Sullivan took firm control of yesterday’s sessions, giving Williams few chances, and leaving the Welshman in no doubt O’Sullivan could go on to take the title.

Speaking about his own performance, O’Sullivan said: “It was alright. It was acceptable.” This was fulsome praise for a man who has often been dubbed his own harshest critic by pundits.

In fact, O’Sullivan betrayed his irritation yesterday at the suggestion he is too hard on himself, telling the BBC: “If someone says that to me again I'm going to stop the interview, because I'm fed up of hearing that.

"When you play poor snooker, you play poor snooker, so I'm not my own harshest critic - it's just when you play pathetic shots you don't want to play. I don't listen to what everyone keeps saying that I'm my harshest critic because you don't know what you're talking about."

Resuming yesterday at 8-8, O’Sullivan and Williams took one frame each before O’Sullivan took the next two, producing a superb 104 break. Williams spent most of the rest of the day in his chair, only rising to execute a 122 break which ended with a crowd-pleasing double on the black.

The Rocket now faces Mark Selby in the quarter-finals. Selby ended the hopes yesterday of seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry. The former boy wonder turned 40 this year, and Selby dispatched him with an effortless 13-5.

Another veteran has been enjoying a surprising renaissance, however. Steve Davis, now 52, upset the bookies when he put the defending champion and world No 1 John Higgins out of the competition’s second round with a 13-11 victory. Odds on Mr Interesting winning the title have nose-dived from 400-1 to 28-1 as he faces Aussie Neil Robertson today.

Enjoying a huge wave of public support, Davis said yesterday: “I've played some rubbish in recent years, which would have been enough for some people to say, 'Look, I've had enough'.

“But I thought, you never know, I might not play rubbish all the time if I try hard enough - and, all of a sudden, I can play a bit again.” ·