O'Sullivan thrashes Wilson to reach semi-finals

Ronnie O'Sullivan thrashed Gary Wilson 5-1 to reach the last four of the World Grand Prix in Leicester.

While Wilson took the opener, the world number one then made three half-centuries and a century to reel off the next five frames.

China's Ding Junhui lies in wait for O'Sullivan in the semi-final on Saturday, after he beat compatriot Zhang Anda 5-2.

The winner will face Judd Trump or Cao Yupeng in Sunday's final.

Trump, who has already featured in five finals this season, plays Cao in their best-of-11 last-four encounter on Friday evening (19:00 GMT).

Despite claiming a record-extending eighth Masters crown last Sunday, O'Sullivan has continued to question his form and future in snooker.

However, the 48-year-old, who will soon take a two-month break from tournaments to recharge for the end of the season, looked in good touch against Scottish Open winner Wilson, rattling in breaks of 68, 129, 78 and 58 as he swept to victory.

"Gary didn't get any run of the ball today, everything he did went wrong and everything I did went right - not even the flukes, just the nudges and kisses," O'Sullivan said on ITV4.

"I felt sorry for Gary because people in the crowd would have not noticed it. When I am cueing alright, it feels effortless, it feels easy, but that is why I have struggled for at least two years now since I won the World Championship in 2022.

"I really haven't played well, and it has worried me. I don't know if it is my arm, it is not going through as smooth, since I have had the bad injury on the arm, it feels like I haven't played well at all.

"My bad game is probably a pretty high standard - it has to be because I have won most of my tournaments not playing great. Just being able to win not at my best is probably my greatest asset."

O'Sullivan beat Ding to claim an eighth UK Championship title in December and again in the first round of last week's Masters.

Ding, who also lost the first frame of his contest against Zhang, compiled breaks of 102, 51 and 73 on his way to establishing a 4-1 lead.

Zhang briefly reduced the deficit with a break of 101 before the world number 11 got over the line with a run of 76 in the seventh frame.