Mark Selby produced a superb performance to thrash Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-0 in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship on Thursday.
The four-time world champion bagelled his old rival in a thoroughly one-sided affair – compiling breaks of 105, 91, 81, 65, and 59.
O’Sullivan was clearly not at his best, but there was no taking away from the dominant display from Selby against the world number one.
The 40 year-old hasn’t won a ranking event since the WST Classic around this time last year, with a best result this season of a final appearance at the British Open.
It’s only the fourth time O’Sullivan has lost a match during this campaign, with Selby representing just the third player to get one over on the Rocket in that period.
“Incredible really,” Mark Selby told the World Snooker Tour after setting up a semi-final clash against either John Higgins or Zhang Anda.
“Obviously I’m happy to win, of course. But the way I did it was quite pleasing. I felt as though I was in control of myself.”
“I felt confident out there. I felt as though I was going to score when I got a chance, and I did.
“I felt like I got a bit of confidence off the back end of the Hawkins game. Before the interval, I didn’t play great and was lucky to get out of it at 2-2 against Barry.
“After that, I dunno, it felt like something clicked. I felt more confident in my technique, and I was striking the ball a lot better and with more confidence.
“The way I finished off against Barry I think was the key to today’s win as well.
“If you can’t get up for playing Ronnie in a full crowd, which he always brings, then you’re in the wrong game.
“That’s where you want to test yourself. That sort of sees where your game is at when you’re put against the best in the game.
“At the moment, my game seems to be in a good place.”
Selby awaits the winner of the remaining last-eight fixture between Higgins and Zhang that will be played on Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the first semi-final of the tournament is scheduled for Friday evening at the Telford International Centre.
Ali Carter had already booked his place in the last four courtesy of a 6-4 defeat of Judd Trump on Wednesday.
The Captain will face Mark Allen after the Northern Irishman pipped last week’s Welsh Open champion Gary Wilson by the same scoreline on day four.
2024 Players Championship draw
Round of 16 (bo11)
Judd Trump 6-2 Chris Wakelin
Tom Ford 2-6 Ali Carter
Mark Williams 3-6 Mark Allen
Gary Wilson 6-4 Hossein Vafaei
Zhang Anda 6-5 Noppon Saengkham
Ding Junhui 4-6 John Higgins
Barry Hawkins 3-6 Mark Selby
Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-2 Zhou Yuelong
Quarter-Finals (bo11)
Judd Trump 4-6 Ali Carter
Mark Allen 6-4 Gary Wilson
Zhang Anda 6-4 John Higgins
Mark Selby 6-0 Ronnie O’Sullivan
Semi-Finals (bo11)
Ali Carter 3-6 Mark Allen
Zhang Anda 6-5 Mark Selby
Final (bo19)
Mark Allen 10-8 Zhang Anda
It’s almost like Ronnie O’Sullivan gave him a practice buddy.
Well played Mark Selby, it was almost like snooker a decade ago when these two played some matches without peers at the time, except O’Sullivan didn’t play his part in the recreation.
The best anyone has played against O’Sullivan this season. Frame 1 set the tone as O’Sullivan lost his cool and squandered a good chance later on.