First, O’Sullivan dropped Stephen Maguire 13-5 with a barrage of relentless body shots, before Mark Williams, who along with John Higgins make up the notorious ‘Class of ’92’ gang, came off the ropes to beat Yan. Bingtao.
The 47-year-old Welshman recovered from 10-8 to beat Yan 13-11 and become the oldest player to reach the single-table stage, the semi-finals, in the Crucible in 37 years.
For Higgins, his fight with Jack Lisowski went all the way, and it was resolved on points in a late night finish, as the Scotsman won the final two frames for a 13-12 win.
It’s the first time the ‘Class of 92’ trio have reached the semi-finals in the same year since 1999. They’ve dominated the pool scene for the past three decades, and O’Sullivan has his own ideas as to why they’ve lasted so long.
“There are a lot of fantastic young players, but the three of us have been doing it for so long that we will all be 47 this year,” said six-time world champion O’Sullivan, who will play Higgins in the second semi-final on Thursday. final.
“Williams and Higgins: They have little subtleties in their game.
“It’s a bit like Mexican boxers: we were raised in a tough school. British fighters are comfortable here, then you throw them into the Mexican or US market and they’re not as good.
“We grew up playing hard matches in many tournaments and we were dedicated to our sport. That helped us a lot.
“Mexican boxers are tough people who can hang on. We are the three Mexicans!”
O’Sullivan is yet to be seriously tested at the Crucible this year, after beating David Gilbert 10-5, Mark Allen 13-4 and then the one-sided match with Maguire.
Resuming overnight with an 11-5 lead, O’Sullivan needed just 19 minutes to secure a record 13th semi-final, one ahead of snooker legend Stephen Hendry, with breaks of 71 and 126.
“I just played the balls, played the table and tried to be as competitive as possible,” O’Sullivan said.
“I’m happy to still be in the tournament until the set table. I appreciate every moment I have to go out and play.”
Williams plays Judd Trump, who battled back to beat Stuart Bingham 13-8 last night, having originally lost 8-5, in Thursday’s first semi-final.
He is the oldest player to appear in the quarterfinals since Ray Reardon, 52, who lost to Steve Davis in 1985.
Williams also had to come from behind against Sheffield’s Yan, playing in her first quarter-final in her adopted hometown, converting a 10-8 deficit into a 13-11 win.
“This is where the tournament becomes the best place in the world for me,” said the Welshman. “I’ve always said that a table setup is something everyone should try and play once in their career.
“I am so happy to reach the semi-finals. I’m here 30 years after I turned pro and I’m still doing my best.
“Right now I’m playing some of the best stuff I’ve ever played. I’m scoring better than ever.”
Yan added: “It was a very close game. I was nervous because I was so close to my first game of a Crucible table.
“Yesterday morning I lost focus and fell 6-2 behind, then brought it back to 8-8 in the afternoon session. I believe in myself, I can do anything.”
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Source: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-04-27 22:09:13
