Players Championship 2021 - Ronnie O'Sullivan equals Stephen Hendry's record of 57 ranking finals

ByAlexander Netherton

Published 26/02/2021 at 22:37 GMT

Ronnie O'Sullivan was at one point trailing Barry Hawkins 3-0 in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship in Milton Keynes. The Englishman will go on to face one of Kyren Wilson and John Higgins in the final when they face one another on Saturday afternoon in their semi-final match. The final will be his 57th in a ranking event.

Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Barry Hawkins 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Players Championship, and will equal Steven Hendry's record of 57 ranking finals.

Hawkins raced into an early 3-0 win as he looked the player in the best form.

The first frame was won 72-44, but the second frame was decided emphatically with a 109-1 win courtesy of a break of 109.

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A break of 87 then sealed Hawkins’ 3-0 lead, before O’Sullivan began his comeback.

The fourth frame went in his favour 60-30, and then two half-century breaks (83 and then 75) gave him the fifth and sixth.

An impressive break of 90 then saw him ease ahead for the first time in the best-of-11 knockout, before a break of 79 meant he had three consecutive frame wins without conceding a point.

Hawkins broke his brief inertia with a break of 81 taking him to 121-0 in the ninth frame to leave him just one behind at 5-4 in O'Sullivan's favour.

O'Sullivan finally claimed victory with a 74-70 win in the final frame, which was a tetchy affair, with the Rocket needing to clear the table to take it.

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