World Grand Prix snooker recap – Ronnie O'Sullivan hits four centuries in rampant semi-final win over Ding Junhui

We will be back for more live updates from 12:45pm when the World Grand Prix final kicks off between the world No. 1 Ronnie O'Sullivan and the world No. 2 Judd Trump, the two form horses of the snooker season. First man to 10 frames takes the title with O'Sullivan chasing a third victory at this prestigious event and Trump eyeing a fourth triumph. Could be quite a battle.

"I felt alright tonight," said Shanghai Masters, UK and Masters champion O'Sullivan on ITV. "Just tidy. Just every shot, I felt in control. I wasn't bothered about big breaks. I felt like I could get the ball to go where I wanted it to go most times. I felt good over the shot. I felt like if I was given a chance, I might make something. I felt relaxed and confident tonight. I'm up for every match I play, I play the table, play the balls and it was a big occasion playing Ding. I knew I had to play well. I've played a few sessions where I've played good stuff, but it was up there.

"People pay good money to come and watch. Sometimes it is hard to keep the stamina. No matter what I say or how I feel, I always put on a professional display mentally. I don't want people to think I'm not trying. It is tough. I'm trying my hardest even when the game comes difficult to you, but it felt nice tonight. The crowd enjoyed it and I enjoyed it. That's what keeps you coming back when you put on a good performance.

"I'm looking forward to the final playing Judd, who is playing fantasically well. I need to play somewhere like that to have a chance of winning. If I can play well and feel comfortable over the shot, I'll enjoy the match no matter what happens."

The snooker GOAT with breaks of 135, 128 (x2), 79, 90 and 124 this evening. "It was one of those I was there nights," says the 1994 Masters champion Alan McManus. "From the start to the end, it was perfection." "It was just mesmerising," agrees 1997 world champion Ken Doherty on ITV. O'Sullivan given a standing ovation at the end of the match as he ends the seven frames with a 97% pot success rate. A 13th straight tournament win for O'Sullivan, who enjoyed an average shot time of 12 seconds towards the end.

And in goes the fourth century of the evening. Four centuries in six frames. Well, that was something else. Something else. Another total clearance of 124.

And this could be another century coming up for the snooker GOAT. Thrilling to watch. Heading for a 63rd ranking final.

Man and cue in perfect harmony out there as O'Sullivan sprints towards the winning line without a second look back.

Ding under all sorts of pressure out there. As he misses a thin hit on a red, and leaves O'Sullivan bang in among them. Will he get another shot? Surely must be severe doubt over those prospects now. "It's just beautiful to watch," says Hendry. "Genius is what it is."

And he begins the seventh frame with another blistering long red. Can't get on a red from the blue for once. So just safety to follow. Ding hasn't play badly tonight. Just hasn't been afforded many chances. O'Sullivan's safety game has also been really strong tonight.

Black doesn't drop for the total clearance, but 128 from O'Sullivan is a joy to watch and he races 5-1 clear of Ding in an exhibition of a semi-final performance. One more frame will get the job done this evening. 97% pot success tonight, 98% in live play for Ronnie. Which tells its own story.

And in goes the third century of the evening from O'Sullivan. "He's making this game look ridiculously easy," says Hendry. "Like he's playing on a nine-ball pool table."

Looks in his element out there. A genius at work. Quite definitely. Almost stalking these reds ball at the moment. As another tricky one disappears down a right middle hole. The blue ball flies into the right centre bag. And the reds open like a flower in spring. This is heading 5-1 folks in an hour. "This is right up there with his best performances," says Hendry. "In the zone."

Ding trying to hide the white ball as much as possible. Doesn't want to bring reds into the open because that spells trouble. Thick with another safety shot. Has opened up the reds and O'Sullivan gives that the treatment from mid-range. Another chance to get moving here for Ronnie.

A clearance of 90 from O'Sullivan this time, and a 4-1 lead. Ding missed the pink to green bag, and sat out the rest of the frame. The GOAT in the house.

"It is perfection," says fellow seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry. Yep. It is indeed.

The fans are loving this. Cries of 'C'mon Ronnie' as he slides a brilliant red down the table into the green pocket to continue the break. Slams in a blue from distance before rolling in a red to right middle. Some tough pots. Made to look so easy. And Ronnie then cracks open the pack to perfection. This is remarkable. 14 seconds a shot. Value for money this evening for the fans.

Ding going about his business nicely. This frame all about the split on the reds from the blue. And he is looking at the pack at the moment. But he misses the pink to green bag off the brown spot, and leaves O'Sullivan a cutback on red. Which he drops in.

Ding gets the match off and running for the fifth frame of a possible 11. Ronnie goes for a long red, but for once that red doesn't find the back of the pocket and Ding tucks home a nice red to right centre. Vital that he makes the most of this opening.

All the details on how to watch and live stream Sheffield United v West Ham United in the Premier League in the UK on TNT Sports and discovery+. Chris Wilder’s men will be looking to end a four-match winless run in the Premier League, following a morale-boosting 4-0 FA Cup third-round victory over Gillingham. The Hammers are winless in their last three games across all competitions.

Champion jockey Sir AP McCoy seems to be enjoying his night out in Leicester.

In goes another long red to put the fourth frame to bed. What a breathtaking few frames. O'Sullivan halfway to a final joust with Judd on Sunday. This semi-final building towards a riveting finale.

A lead of 47 points with a possible 35 remaining on the table. "If you need three snookers at this level, you probably need about 23 to get them," comments 1994 Masters champion Alan McManus.

But he slips up on 79 by missing a red to prove he is not a robot. That annoyed him. Ding returns to table with little hope surely of winning this frame.

Races to 40, and this looks like chance to get frame won in one hit. All the reds are open here. Chance of a third century in four frames too surely. Can't play snooker better than this. Has anybody played snooker better than this? 40 minutes of play for four frames. Really is incredible.

Ronnie is seeing these balls from distance with so much ease this evening. In goes another lovely long red and he holds for the pink too. A vibe of positivity is dripping from his cue at the moment. What is he going to make here?

O'Sullivan looking in majestic condition in this match. Almost unplayable when he is on it. He breaks off the fourth frame of an engrossing encounter so far. Ding with a great escape from a snooker by flicking off the pack to return to baulk.

A break of 128 from O'Sullivan to go with the 135 in the opening frame. Snooker from the Gods? Definitely sounds like fair comment.

Ding with head down on chair. Just accepting his fate in this frame without doing little wrong. Brilliant shot by Ronnie with the rest, and that is going to be a second century in the first three frames. Exceptional level of play.

Looks for all the world like 2-1 to Rocket Ronnie is incoming. Has the cue ball on a piece of string out there. Fabulous to watch.

Couple of balls manage to wriggle in. But they drop, and that is all that counts at this level. Decent chance then for Ronnie to reassert himself in this third frame. Quickly up to 44. Like shelling peas. 14 seconds a shot at moment.

Bullet of an opening red from Ronnie in frame three, but white travels onto the baulk line. And he can't sink brown. But the safety pays off as Ding leaves him another long-range tempter with hand on table. In goes the red, and O'Sullivan has first go at these balls.

An 85 break from the former Masters champion. This match is level again at one apiece. Scintillating start to the night in Leicester.

A brilliant response from Ding in the second frame. Getting right through the white ball in this break. And looks like we are going to be 1-1 inside the first half hour of this semi-final. No messing about. The recovery pots to keep this break going have been right out of the top drawer. Battle is joined at the World Grand Prix.

Superb shot by Ding using rest to drop in the pink. That was excellent from Ding. Decent chance here to build a healthy lead in this frame.

O'Sullivan 21-5 clear on the career head-to-heads. O'Sullivan goes for a long red. Doesn't drop this time, but white somehow rests on black to deny Ding an easy opener. Always nice to get a spot of running in a match. Ding drops in a long red seconds later and in goes the blue to follow. But out of position before running safe. Ding with another excellent red and blue to green bag to follow. Chance then to get some table time of his own.

Ronnie breaks off for the second frame. Ding hardly played a shot in the first frame. Left O'Sullivan a long red, and the 40-time ranking event winner did the rest. First man to six frames will claim the final spot. Meanwhile, Alan McManus has noticed Dutch referee Jan Verhaas is on duty tonight. "He is fantastic as a referee, the big fella," comments the 1994 Masters champion.

And in goes the black for the ton. What can you say? Different level stuff this. The crowd loving it. Career century 1,237 from Rocket Ronnie. Magnificent. In went the long red, and on went Ronnie. Looks like a total clearance on the way. And in goes the black to sign off the frame. Total break of 135. Doesn't get any better than this on a snooker table.

Every chance of a century to open up with more. Say no more.

O'Sullivan is going through these balls like a hot knife through butter. Rapid stuff right from the off. Looks right in the mood. Up to 62 in no time at all. Looks like a one-visit hit from Ronnie.

Ronnie carting home a long red right off the bar. Brilliant piece of cueing and he keeps the break going with the help of the extended spider. That was very, very nice indeed. Respected Dutch referee Jan Verhaas taking charge of this match tonight.

Off we go then for this one. Both men getting a huge roar of appreciation from the sell-out crowd inside the Morningside Arena. Has all the makings of another corker this match. Ding completed a 5-2 quarter-final win over Zhang Anda on Friday with O'Sullivan defeating Gary Wilson 5-1.

This happened the last time these old mates met in London last week. Seems like a while ago now. What a moment at the Masters.

Welcome back to Leicester for the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui. A 10-7 O'Sullivan win over Ding in the final of the UK Championship in York last month was followed by a 6-3 victory over the Chinese icon in the first round of the Masters in London, an event he also won with a 10-7 final triumph against Ali Carter last Sunday. So the world No. 1 is chasing a third straight tournament win in a row this week. Judd Trump awaits the winner of this match in the final.

Snooker GOAT Ronnie O'Sullivan has moved to quell fears he is thinking about retiring from the sport despite admitting "I'm not enjoying my snooker".

O'Sullivan won a 12th straight competitive match of the campaign with an assured display against Scottish Open champion Gary Wilson in the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix at the Morningside Arena in Leicester on Friday.

"There's lot of reasons to incentivise me to keep playing, but I'm not sure they're worth it anymore," 'The Rocket' said.

"I'm not saying I'm going to retire, because everyone says when are you going to retire, I never said that word, so don't quote me on that.

"But I'm not enjoying my snooker, no. It's hard to walk away from it when you are still winning.

"That niggling voice in the back of your head, that makes you think if I can get my game half right, I'll stroll tournaments."

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