Masters 2024: Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Shaun Murphy and Ali Carter beats Mark Allen in semi-final

• By Steve Sutcliffe
• ` Sport

January 13, 2024

Updated 1 hour ago

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Ronnie O'Sullivan won his first Masters title in 1995 at the age of 19 and remains the youngest winner ever

Venue: Alexandra Palace, London. Dates: 7th – 14th January
Coverage: Watch live on ` TV, ` iPlayer, ` Red Button and online; Live text broadcast of the final on Sunday, January 14th.

Ronnie O'Sullivan faces Ali Carter when he attempts to claim his record-equalling eighth Masters title at Alexandra Palace on Sunday.

O'Sullivan defeated 2015 champion Shaun Murphy 6-2 to reach the final of the prestigious tournament for the 14th time.

In the other semifinal on Saturday, Carter made three consecutive century breaks as he beat Mark Allen 6-3.

Carter also made it into the exhibition match in his last appearance at the invitational event in 2020.

His clash with 40-time ranking event winner O'Sullivan will be a repeat of the 2008 and 2012 World Finals, both won by The Rocket.

However, in a more recent encounter at the Crucible, which Carter won, there was a bitter exchange between the players. – in which O'Sullivan rammed his opponent in the shoulder.

O'Sullivan took three of the first four frames against Murphy, who gained a foothold in the match with a superb 131 break.

As another Murphy century put him in a frame, 48-year-old O'Sullivan went into overdrive with runs of 90, 71 and 62 to seal his victory and set his sights on the £250,000 top prize after a five-year absence showcase game.

“There were a few mistakes at the beginning but I cleaned it up a bit – and that's what I have to do these days because I can't pot up as well as those guys, but I can take breaks between balls and make up for it is like that,” O’Sullivan told ` Sport.

“I don’t feel that old. I feel spiritually young. I feel much younger at the table when I play against these younger players. They look old and their brains are pretty slow. I still feel like my brain is pretty fast at the snooker table, which is quite enough.

“They need to get their act together because I'm going blind, have a weak arm and bad knees and they still can't beat me.”

Already the youngest winner of the tournament almost 29 years ago, O'Sullivan could now become its oldest, eclipsing Stuart Bingham, who won his only Masters title in 2020 at the age of 43.

O'Sullivan is heading towards another milestone

If O'Sullivan were to add a 23rd Triple Crown title to his collection, he would also become the oldest winner of all three of snooker's most prestigious events.

Further success for O'Sullivan would also give him the opportunity to emulate Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams, who are the only players to win all three Triple Crown events in the same season.

And based on this evidence, it would be difficult to stand against him regardless of whether he is at his best or not, as his aura also seems to put pressure on his opponents.

While O'Sullivan dominated the final stages of the game, Murphy had several good opportunities early on.

But he faltered on the green in the opening game – what would have been a stunning counterattack save – missed a black from his spot while between balls in the second frame and played a loose safety shot in the fourth to give his opponent a two -Break. Frame advantage in the mid-session interval.

“He was just too good – quite simply,” Murphy told ` Sport.

“I missed a few shots here and there, but I felt like I played better in this game than the previous two. I just thought Ronnie was great and if he plays like that, you might as well give him the trophy now.”

“I’m disappointed I lost, but I tried my best and gave it my all and it wasn’t to be.”

Carter is closing in on his first Triple Crown title

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Ali Carter was previously ranked second in the world

World number 10 Carter has yet to win a Triple Crown event but says he will “enjoy” the challenge of Sunday’s final against O’Sullivan.

While he got off to a slow start against Allen in a match that was briefly stopped twice due to medical emergencies in the crowd, he quickly found his groove with breaks of 71, 100, 101 and 105 to build a commanding 4-1 lead.

And while Allen got back to 4-3 with a century of his own, Carter held his nerve and showed his fighting qualities to win the next and win a hard-fought ninth frame.

“I really pushed it there in the middle and felt really good and Mark showed what a great player he is with a good tone,” Carter said.

“I made it through well and am looking forward to taking part in 'The Rocket' tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it and enjoying the challenge.”

“He has played a big role in everyone’s career. He is the greatest of all time and I have the greatest respect for him as a snooker player, but what a great challenge to play against him here.”

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