Ronnie O'Sullivan admits he must improve to stand a chance against Mark Selby

Ronnie O’Sullivan felt he “got lucky” on his return to competitive action at the Masters after a battling 6-5 first-round victory over Mark Williams and is “miles away” from top form, but hopes to be able to build some momentum at Alexandra Palace.

Ronnie O'Sullivan admits he must improve to stand a chance against Mark Selby

Ronnie O’Sullivan felt he “got lucky” on his return to competitive action at the Masters after a battling 6-5 first-round victory over Mark Williams and is “miles away” from top form, but hopes to be able to build some momentum at Alexandra Palace.

The 40-year-old had taken some time off following the World Championship in April, where he lost in the quarter-finals to eventual winner Stuart Bingham.

O’Sullivan had opted not to defend either his Champion of Champions or UK Championship titles as he battled debilitating insomnia and then issues with his back.

The five-time world champion, who did play in the qualifying for the German Masters during December but failed to make the tournament stage, opened up on Thursday in confident mood taking the first two frames, before finding himself 4-2 down against the Welshman.

O’Sullivan then produced two centuries breaks as he fought back to edge ahead 5-4, and made the most of a missed plant by Williams in the deciding 11th frame to book a quarter-final place against world number one Mark Selby, who later coasted past Ricky Walden 6-0 in Tuesday’s evening session.

“If Mark would have had a bit more clinicalness about him he would probably have got through and I would have lost, but I got lucky,” O’Sullivan told BBC Sport.

“I only missed two tournaments, and as it happens I would not have been able to play in them because of my back so this is probably the only tournament I could have played in anyway.

“My form was great and I felt I was cueing as well as I have ever done, but since I have done my back I have not been able to cue properly, I am cueing around corners.”

O’Sullivan continued: “I didn’t really miss it, and if I keep on playing like that, then I wont be missing it at all. Unless I play well and start flowing a bit, there is no joy in it for me.

“I have had a lean 18 months, and not really done much, only a couple of quarter-finals really.

“I am miles away (from best form), but am pleased to have won a match and got in (the next round) once you start winning matches, you are picking up momentum and have a chance for it to click.

“I always think nowadays unless you are playing really well, then you are not going to win tournaments, unless you are Selby. I mean he can win playing bad because he can make it really hard for you and grind it out, but I am not that type of player.

“If I am scoring and have got my potting boots on then I am going to have a chance, but if I ain’t then I am just going to get picked off.”

Selby, meanwhile, showed few signs of anything other than clinical form as he dispatched Walden with a near flawless display.

After recovering from 52 points down with a break of 71 in the opening frame, Selby never looked back as the 2014 world champion aims towards securing a first title of the season.

On the quarter-final with O’Sullivan, he said to the official World Snooker Twitter feed: “Every time I play Ronny it seems to be a great game, as is the atmosphere, so I am sure Thursday will be no different.”

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