• World Championship

Classy O'Sullivan edges out Williams

Ronnie O'Sullivan was fully focused in his win over Mark Williams © Getty Images

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Ronnie O'Sullivan booked his place in the quarter-finals of the World Championship with a 13-10 win over Mark Williams.

In a match that was high on quality, O'Sullivan asserted in the final session, which started at 8-8, and three centuries and a couple of 50-plus breaks got him over the line with something to spare.

O'Sullivan started well, taking the opening frame of the session with a 53, but Williams responded by taking the 18th.

Williams had the chance to edge ahead in the 19th but left a black in the jaws and O'Sullivan stepped in to clear with a 104. "The Rocket" then promptly knocked in a 75 in the frame before the interval edge to ahead at 11-9.

Williams' response after the break was excellent, a 115 clearance to the pink cut the deficit to one and checked O'Sullivan's momentum.

The run of high scoring continued in the 22nd as O'Sullivan compiled an excellent 111 to move within one frame of victory.

With the match on the line, Williams engaged O'Sullivan in a safety battle but came off second best and after failing to get the white safe after being put in a snooker, the world No. 1 stepped in to close out the match and remain on course for a fourth world title.

"That was alright," O'Sullivan told the BBC. "I managed to pot a few balls there, but I needed to as I knew Mark would have punished me if I hadn't.

"It's rarely I play well, so when I do I have just enjoy the moment."

The interview turned decidedly frosty when O'Sullivan fielded a question he did not agree with.

"If someone says that to me again I am going to stop the interview [O'Sullivan was asked about being his own harshest critic]. I am fed up with hearing that. When you play poor snooker, you play poor snooker. I am not my own harshest critic, but when you play pathetic shots you don't want to play."

Allister Carter won the final three frames of his tie against Joe Perry to seal a dramatic comeback victory. Carter, who led 10-6 at the beginning of the final session, lost five consecutive frames to trail 11-10 as Perry put together runs of 62, 56 and 55.

Just when it seemed that the game was set to race away from him, Carter levelled the scores with a century break in the 22nd frame. He would go on to win the next two frames, looking particularly impressive when collating a run of 82 in the penultimate frame that knocked the stuffing out of Perry.

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