Ronnie O'Sullivan has secured his place in the World Snooker Championship semi-finals after defeating China's Si Jiahui 13-9 at the Crucible and admitted world No. 1 Judd Trump will be licking his lips.
The victory marks O'Sullivan's 14th appearance in the tournament's final four as he continues his quest for a historic eighth world title.
The 'Rocket' is aiming to surpass Stephen Hendry's record of seven World Championship successes.
O'Sullivan's win maintains his impressive run in his 33rd consecutive World Championship appearance in Sheffield.
Ronnie O'Sullivan could face Judd Trump in the final
Reuters
But he was furious with his own performance, admitting if he faced someone like world No.1 Judd Trump, he would not have lasted.
"I have give it my best but I am hanging in there. I would like to be playing better but I have to try and find some form at some point," he told the BBC.
"I don't feel rusty, I have only been playing for a month but I just couldn't face playing. It gets harder, look at the way Judd is playing.
"The Chinese are such nice boys I love to see them playing well."
His journey to the semi-finals has included victories over Si Jiahui, Junxu Pang and long-time rival Ali Carter.
The five-time world champion has made every effort to regain his form after his limited preparation for the tournament.
O'Sullivan will now face another Chinese player, Zhao Xintong, in the semi-finals.
Zhao earned his place in the final four after defeating England's Chris Wakelin 13-5 in their quarter-final match.
The other semi-final will see Trump take on Mark Williams.
Trump advanced with a 13-8 victory over defending champion Luca Brecel, while Williams edged past John Higgins in a thrilling 13-12 contest.
The semi-finals are scheduled to begin on Thursday, with the final taking place across Sunday and Monday.
Despite his progress, O'Sullivan was remarkably candid about his performance in post-match comments to the BBC.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan was not happy with his own performance
Reuters
"I'm just grinding it out, I had some work done on my cue today, I am playing awful and my cue feels awful but I am still here," he admitted.
"I miss the buzz of playing well. He had lots of chances, I was trying everything and he let me off the hook.
He viewed each match as "an opportunity" despite his struggles.
O'Sullivan continued to be forthright about his concerns heading into the semi-finals.
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