Ronnie O’Sullivan is closing in on his eighth snooker world final after winning five of the eight frames in the penultimate session of his last-four clash against John Higgins at the Crucible.
Resuming 10-6 in front after clinching a thrilling last frame on Friday night on a re-spotted black, the 46-year-old secured a 15-9 advantage to leave him requiring just two more frames on Saturday evening to progress.
Despite firing three centuries, O’Sullivan was clinical rather than vintage as he mopped up after a succession of Higgins mistakes, the Scot showing his frustration by slamming his cue into the floor when he let his opponent in early in the 22nd frame.
![Ronnie O'Sullivan](https://img.resized.co/breaking-news/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL2ltYWdlLmFzc2V0cy5wcmVzc2Fzc29jaWF0aW9uLmlvXFxcL3YyXFxcL2ltYWdlXFxcL3Byb2R1Y3Rpb25cXFwvZTZkOGM3OGU3MDM3ZmExZWMwY2VmOGU1NjFjYjg4N2RZMjl1ZEdWdWRITmxZWEpqYUdGd2FTd3hOalV4TkRBM09EQTVcXFwvMi42NjYyOTE5Ni5qcGc_dz02NDBcIixcIndpZHRoXCI6XCI2NDBcIixcImhlaWdodFwiOlwiNDI3XCIsXCJkZWZhdWx0XCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL3d3dy5icmVha2luZ25ld3MuaWVcXFwvaW1hZ2VzXFxcL25vLWltYWdlLnBuZ1wiLFwib3B0aW9uc1wiOntcIm91dHB1dFwiOlwid2VicFwifX0iLCJoYXNoIjoiNjc3OGJiZTIwYTgxYWEwNzBhMDZhMjlhMDk0YjRjMGQ5MzliOWVhNCJ9/ronnie-o-sullivan-closes-in-on-eighth-snooker-world-final-at-the-crucible.jpg?w=640)
Higgins had appeared set to show no ill effects from the Friday night drama as he took the essential opening frame of the morning, but a break of 82 by O’Sullivan swiftly re-established his four-frame advantage at 11-8.
The Scot clawed back again before the pair swapped tons, O’Sullivan compiling a 101 and Higgins responding on the other side of the mid-session interval with a 103 to haul back to 12-9.
Higgins fluffed a simple red to the middle in the next frame, ending a promising break of 16 and letting in O’Sullivan to fire a devastating 121 – the 100th century of this year’s tournament – to emphatically assert command.
![Betfred World Snooker Championship 2022 – Day 15 – The Crucible](https://img.resized.co/breaking-news/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL2ltYWdlLmFzc2V0cy5wcmVzc2Fzc29jaWF0aW9uLmlvXFxcL3YyXFxcL2ltYWdlXFxcL3Byb2R1Y3Rpb25cXFwvYzQ4MmE2ZWE2YzA2MTUwY2YyNTA5NzA3ZTJiMDg1NTdZMjl1ZEdWdWRITmxZWEpqYUdGd2FTd3hOalV4TkRBNE1UVTNcXFwvMi42NjYyODg4My5qcGc_dz02NDBcIixcIndpZHRoXCI6XCI2NDBcIixcImhlaWdodFwiOlwiNDI3XCIsXCJkZWZhdWx0XCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL3d3dy5icmVha2luZ25ld3MuaWVcXFwvaW1hZ2VzXFxcL25vLWltYWdlLnBuZ1wiLFwib3B0aW9uc1wiOntcIm91dHB1dFwiOlwid2VicFwifX0iLCJoYXNoIjoiNTA0N2U5MmYzYmVmOGRhZTg4OGY3ZGM4ZGIyMmNhNzQ4YjJkNzI4ZCJ9/ronnie-o-sullivan-closes-in-on-eighth-snooker-world-final-at-the-crucible.jpg?w=640)
It was O’Sullivan’s turn to run aground on 50 in the next, but once again Higgins failed to fully capitalise, a poor positional shot leading to a spell of safety play from which O’Sullivan emerged with a comfortable clearance to move five in front at 14-9.
Higgins’ dismal session was summed up in the final frame when O’Sullivan pounced on a loose break-off shot to sink a long red and proceed to roll in his 12th century of the tournament – a faultless 134 – and surely make the concluding evening session a formality.