O'Sullivan finds his best form again

Snooker

Snooker

Ronnie O'Sullivan is back at his quick-fire best. From the less than promising position at 4-1 down against Nigel Bond he reeled off four frames in 27 minutes to win 6-5 and earn a quarter-final place in the Benson and Hedges Masters at Wembley Conference Centre.

"There was a spell when I couldn't miss. It was unbelievable," said O'Sullivan after Tuesday's victory. His domination was such during the brilliant burst that he did not concede a single point while knocking in breaks of 109, 56, 81 and 128 - the highest of the event so far.

"That's the way I can play. I keep trying to explain what I am capable of at my best," said O'Sullivan, who will now face Darren Morgan today for a semi-final place.

When Bond, last year's World Championship runner-up, smoothly built a 3-0 lead with runs of 46, 110 and 97, O'Sullivan looked to be heading towards another early exit.

O'Sullivan, winner of the Liverpool Victoria Charity Challenge title four weeks ago but beaten in the last 32 or earlier at four of the season's first five ranking tournaments, seemed in even deeper trouble when Bond moved 4-1 ahead. It was then that 20-year-old O'Sullivan embarked on his purple patch during which he totalled a Masters record 392 points without reply.

Having been completely frozen out for so long, Bond did well to force the contest its full distance by comfortably winning frame 10. He also recovered from a 43-point deficit in the decider to lead 52-44 before he missed a tricky yellow to a baulk pocket using the rest.