Rocket Ronnie beats Robertson but admits he’s running out of fuel

A RECORD seventh Dafabet Masters title is still on for Ronnie O’Sullivan after a 6-3 quarter-final victory over Neil Robertson – but the Rocket admits he is running out of fuel.

Four breaks of 47-plus helped 41-yearold defending Masters champion O’Sullivan take four frames in succession to come from 3-2 down to seal his semi-final spot, where he will play Marco Fu on Saturday. And while O’Sullivan conceded he was far from his fluent best at London’s Alexandra Palace on Thursday afternoon, he was relieved to be in a record 13th Masters semi-final.

Especially when the man with 28 ranking titles believes he only has another two or three years left where winning tournaments is a realistic ambition.

“I’ve felt so ill for so long it was just nice to feel normal again, so I felt like I could give it a good go and try my hardest and if I won great and if I didn’t there was no excuses,” O’Sullivan said.

“Physically I’m a million times better, I’m happy just for that.

“I’m a fierce competitor and I think that’s what got me through today and I’ll always be that but it wasn’t a great performance.

“Hopefully at some point I can play a bit better and hopefully I’ll get to a final and win a tournament. I think I have two or three years being realistic of having decent opportunities to win tournaments.

“But if I’m not I’ve just got to accept that I’m not as clinical or as sharp or something happens to you that I’m not the player I maybe was the last four or five years.”

And 2012 Masters champion Robertson admitted he was unable to find his rhythm as he succumbed to the Rocket.

“Sometimes it’s a frustrating sport to play because these things happen, throughout a season they all even out but you don’t really think like that,” said Australian Robertson. 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow G2 3QB. email: sport@theherald.co.uk. Tel 0141 302 6590 Head of Sport: Stewart Weir

“I wouldn’t say I struggled at all, I think I missed one ball that I really should have potted at three-each.

“When you go into the pack on 30, 40 or 50 and you’re not landing on a red you’re not putting your opponent under much pressure.”

O’Sullivan’s semi-final opponent Fu breezed into the final four with a 6-2 victory over Mark Allen.