Four-time UK Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan recorded a surprisingly easy 9-3 victory over world number seven Mark Selby at the Pukka Pies UK Championship in Telford on Thursday, writes Rob Hayes.

The Rocket raced to a 3-1 lead at the mid-session interval as Selby struggled to take his chances, and he went further in front when the Leicester Jester failed to capitalise having been handed a frame winning opportunity.

Selby racked up a break of 90 to take the next frame, before O’Sullivan responded with a 94, and it was the world number one who took the final frame of the session as Selby produced a half-century before failing to dispatch the blue, leaving Ronnie with the simplest of clearances.

The fight back looked possible when Selby opened the evening session with the highest break of the match, but O’Sullivan responded with a superb 98 to restore his four frame advantage.

The 34 year-old battled his way through the final two frames to secure his place in the semi-final against world champion John Higgins.

Higgins recorded a comfortable 9-2 victory over China’s Liang Wenbo, and he opened the match in style, sinking a classy 90 to gain the upper hand immediately. He needed a few more visits to take the second frame, as Liang registered 57 before Higgins cleared the colours to register enough points to double his advantage.

The Wizard from Wishaw had a good chance to magic a 147 in the third frame, but ran out of position, and despite a break of 110, Higgins looked slightly disappointed.

Higgins took the next frame with another century break to go 4-0 up, and edged a scrappy fifth frame, winning by a single point after clearing the table.

A break of 39 was enough for Liang to close out the sixth frame and pull the score back to 5-1, but again he failed to get the cue ball safe in the seventh, and Higgins registered a frame winning break of 78 to extend his lead to 6-1.

Liang took the final frame of the afternoon session after sinking an impressive break of 124, but failed to trouble Higgins in the final three frames, as the Scot limited his opponent to just 22 points, and won the match in style with a superb clearance of 115.

Saturday’s semi-final will undoubtedly be the tie of the tournament, and the winner will face either Ding Junhui or Steven Maguire in the final.