Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Ronnie O'Sullivan.Alamy Stock Photo FreeSnooker Ronnie O’Sullivan reaches another Crucible semi-final after seeing off Si Jiahui The seven-time champion twice saw his 22-year-old opponent pull back to within two frames before securing his 14th appearance in the last four. 10.27pm, 30 Apr 2025 Share options RONNIE O’SULLIVAN REPELLED a stirring fightback from Si Jiahui to set up a mouthwatering semi-final against Zhao Xintong at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield. The seven-time champion twice saw his 22-year-old opponent pull back to within two frames, but held his nerve and a break to black of 76 confirmed his 14th appearance in the Crucible’s last four. O’Sullivan was predictably downbeat afterwards, insisting it was Si’s poor performance in the early stage of the match, rather than his own late revival, that paved his way to another unconvincing victory. “I got off the hook again,” O’Sullivan said. “He played pretty poorly in the first two sessions and he did better in the third session but he didn’t finish the frames off and I stole a few. “I have relied on other people to win and that doesn’t feel good for me. I always feel better when I force the opening and put the pressure on my opponents. You feel a lot better when you’ve won the match rather than they’ve lost it.” Advertisement Si, a shock semi-finalist on his debut two years ago, showed few signs of repeating that form in the early stages and O’Sullivan was barely forced to break sweat as he took the first frame of the second session to ease into a 7-2 lead. O’Sullivan, playing his first tournament since he dumped his cue in a bin after crashing out of the Championship League in January, had impressed in patches in his wins over Ali Carter and Pang Junxu in the earlier rounds, and Si did not appear to be the man to test his limits. But after starting the final session four frames adrift at 10-6, Si’s fluency showed signs of returning, and with O’Sullivan’s game becoming increasingly scattered with errors, the underdog won three from four to reach the interval just two behind at 11-9. Si had a big chance to make it 11-10 but missed a yellow and a vintage run of 36 from O’Sullivan took him one frame away from victory. Still playing fluently, Si got in first in the 22nd frame and fashioned a 43-point lead, before a miss on the brown served up a chance which O’Sullivan seized to confirm his clash against rising star Zhao. The 28-year-old completed his serene progress to the last four as he took the one frame he required to complete an emphatic 13-5 win over Chris Wakelin. O’Sullivan, who has previously mentored Zhao, hailed him as a “phenomenal” talent and praised the way he fought through four qualifying rounds to reach the Crucible as he continues his comeback following a 20-month ban for his involvement in a betting scandal. “He’s only going to get better and better and he’s a great talent,” added O’Sullivan. “Coming through the qualifiers, he’s a fantastic player, and coming to the Crucible and doing what he’s done is incredible.” O’Sullivan is two wins away from standing alone at the top of the all-time list with eight Crucible titles, but he predictably dismissed suggestions that particular record may be playing on his mind. Describing his ongoing issues with his new cue as “carnage”, O’Sullivan added: “I’m just hoping to get through the next match. “I’ve probably played the worst snooker out of everybody at this tournament. I feel like I’ve been so poor I’ve put my opponents off a bit. But when you get to this stage you’ve got to play well, and I’m going to have to find something to get past Zhao Xintong.” Press Association View 5 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Ronnie O’Sullivan reaches another Crucible semi-final after seeing off Si Jiahui”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Ronnie O’Sullivan reaches another Crucible semi-final after seeing off Si Jiahui”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. 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