World Champ and Number One set up Semi Final Clash
Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins beat Mark Allen and Mark Selby to win their way into the semi finals of the 2010 totesport.com Welsh Open in Newport
An entertainment packed match between O'Sullivan and Mark Allen, who beat him in the World Championship, saw two missed maximums and a barrage of other high breaks.
Allen took the opener with a run of 40 after both players missed chances.
O'Sullivan settled in the match in the second, firing in 92 in a eight minute frame.
Allen responded with 54 and O'Sullivan rapped in 88, but missed a routine red with a maximum break there for the taking.
After the interval O'Sullivan got straight down to attempting another maximum break. After the getting the hard red down the rail out of the way early in the break, the balls appeared to be set perfectly.
He rattled along to 122 before unaccountably missing the green.
It took O'Sullivan into a 3-2 lead and it quickly became 4-2 when he fired in 90, after Allen had seen the black vault off the table when he'd made 27.
Allen broke down on 16 in the next and O'Sullivan pounced with runs of 40 and 50 to secure victory.
The Northern Ireland player hung a white towel on the end of his cue and waved it in surrender as Ronnie approached the winning line. It typified a match played in an excellent spirit.
O'Sullivan was happy enough enough his performance saying "I put on a professional display today," but not so happy not to get at least one of the maximum chances.
"I was disappointed not to get the 147," he said. If he had got at least one of the maximums it would have taken O'Sullivan's tally in professional competition to ten, overtaking Stephen Hendry who stands on nine 147s in the official records.
John Higgins beat Mark Selby 5-2 to book a match against O'Sullivan in the semi finals.
The Scot opened with a smooth break of 89 and one of the match's pivotal moment came as early as frame two.
Selby got in and made 62 but let Higgins back in, and he comiled a faultless 67 clearance to steal the frame on the black.
The third could have been role reversal. Higgins had the first chance but ran out of position on 64. Selby countered with 34 but couldn't put the finishing touches to the come back.
The Masters champion froze Higgins out of the fourth with 33 and 47 to take a consolation frame before the interval.
Frame five was a replica of frame two. Selby was first to the table but missed on 47 and Higgins cleared with 70, which included fluking the pink when it flicked the black and flew in.
It took Higgins two visits to close out the match. He made 39 and 43, which sandwiched a run of 34 by Selby.
