On-fire O’Sullivan relishing showdown with Allen

RONNIE O’Sullivan demolished Marco Fu at the Dafabet Masters but he warned quarter-final opponent Mark Allen he is yet to hit top form.

Antrim ace Allen has the unenviable task of playing the defending champion tomorrow and, judging by O’Sullivan’s firstround match, his seven-year winless streak against the home fa- vourite is likely to continue.

O’Sullivan, a seven-time winner of snooker’s second biggest prize, brushed aside Fu 6-0 in a 90-minute masterclass but later said he felt unwell during the contest.

“I feel a little bit dazed and confused, I have had it for about six days. I feel funny, I don’t think I have flu but I am just a little light-headed,” he said.

“I am all over the shop at the minute to be honest with you.

“I try not to over-think my performances but I am glad to get through.

“I love playing everywhere, just give me a cue, a table and some balls and I will play for you. Practice, Masters whatever — I have been doing for long enough, I get a buzz from just potting balls.

“Mark is a fantastic player, a fantastic competitor and I am really looking forward to a great match.

“It should be a good treat for the fans, hopefully I will feel a little bit better and be able to compete. That is all I want to do, I just want to compete and give him a game for the fans.”

Despite being under the weather it took O’Sullivan a matter of minutes to underline his status as favourite for the £600,000 event, hitting two centuries in quick succession.

He backed that up with a 74 and 112 before the interval and Fu was forced to wait until the fifth frame just to pot a ball.

O’Sullivan added: “When I am long gone and dead and they whack it on YouTube, people will say ‘he was a bit like Messi’.

“There is football and there is Messi, there is Roger Federer and there are other tennis players.”

Watch the Masters LIVE on Eurosport and Eurosport Player with Colin Murray and analysis from Jimmy White and Neil Robertson