The Masters semi-finals recap - Ali Carter beats Mark Allen after Ronnie O'Sullivan's win over Shaun Murphy

ByPaul Hassall

Updated 13/01/2024 at 23:02 GMT

Welcome to Eurosport's live text coverage of the semi-finals of the 2024 Masters with two massive matches in store at Alexandra Palace. First up, Ronnie O'Sullivan saw off old foe Shaun Murphy for a place in Sunday's final. Following that, Ali Carter defeated Mark Allen in the evening session. Watch and stream The Masters live on Eurosport and discovery+.

‘A bit of an artist’ - Allen makes century in frame seven of Masters quarter-final with Selby

JOIN US AGAIN ON SUNDAY

That's it for our live coverage this evening.

The Masters

No Filter: Behind the scenes as O'Sullivan wins record eighth Masters crown

00:12:17

16/01/2024 at 11:57

Log on again tomorrow afternoon for the first session of the 2024 Masters best-of-19-frame final between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ali Carter.

CARTER REVELS IN HIS VICTORY

“I really got it going in the middle there,” he says. “Mark showed what a good player he is, making a good ton himself.

“I thought the balls were turning there, but I hung in and got it going again.

“I’m delighted and I’m looking forward to having a crack at The Rocket tomorrow!”

RESULT - CARTER 6-3 ALLEN

It’s Carter who will play O’Sullivan in Sunday’s final! The Captain sticks the landing as he fires both the blue and the pink to the bottom left corner to seal the win after an epic final frame.

CARTER 5-3 ALLEN (54-47)

Allen sizes up the green to the yellow pocket. It’s make-able but not easy and given the stakes it’s not that much of a surprise that he fluffs his lines.

Carter finally takes care of the green as a result, but the brown is tight to the right rail and the blue is almost glued to the bottom rail.

Carter plays a smart trap with the cue ball close to the blue and Mark completely misses an attempt on the brown. He fouls and has to go again. This time there’s a heavier kiss and it leaves the brown over the yellow pocket.

Ali knocks it down but can’t do much with the blue.

On we go!

CARTER 5-3 ALLEN (43-47)

Carter takes on a tricky green to the bottom right but can’t force it down.

This is what it’s all about, right here. The stakes are high, the crowd are engaged and there’s a real game of cat and mouse with a vital frame in the balance all the way to the end.

CARTER 5-3 ALLEN (43-47)

A face-off on the yellow ends up going the way of Allen as Carter’s attempt at the snooker behind the green and brown doesn’t pay off.

The Pistol sinks the yellow to the bottom right but has to continue with the defensive mind-set, playing a snooker behind the brown.

Carter escapes and the luck suddenly turns his way as Allen goes in-off in the bottom left bag.

CARTER 5-3 ALLEN (39-45)

A brief exchange of safety sees Allen tempted by a long red to the bottom right. He takes it on with an element of venom but it pops away from the pocket and sprays the three reds away from each other.

Carter takes advantage, knocking in the penultimate red with an exquisite cut up to the middle left. He lands perfectly on the black and the pot takes the cue ball into a ricochet on the green. He wants some fortune, but appears to land too close to the final red.

It seems risky to take it on, but The Captain decides he has to be bold again and brilliantly shunts it to the yellow pocket.

He can almost sees the final growing on his horizon but he blinks stretching for the yellow up to its home pocket and his run ends on 19.

Allen survives but the frame is very much in the balance now.

CARTER 5-3 ALLEN (20-45)

Play resumes with Allen gliding a blue to middle left and he follows it up with a superb plant on a red to the left corner.

It doesn’t pave the way for a frame-winning run though and he plays safe behind the blue with the three remaining reds seeking shelter behind the pink in a mini pack.

CARTER 5-3 ALLEN (20-39)

How big will that miss be?

Carter takes on a long red to the bottom left. He’s potted tougher shots tonight, but this one refuses to go down.

Allen steps in and slots in a red to the bottom right and follows it with a routine middle blue.

A smart red takes him up to the black with a nosebleed up near the yellow pocket. The cue ball lands tight to the black but The Pistol uses the rest to thunder it in with an acute angle and offer a suggestion there’s life in this semi-final yet.

With the black back on its spot, Allen works his way through some more orthodox red-black pots before a disturbance in the crowd sees Allen take a seat. He then seeks out a half eaten apple as medics see to someone who has apparently taken ill in the audience.

CARTER 5-3 ALLEN (20-4)

The Captain sizes up a tough long red close to the cushion down to the left corner. He adds pace to try and force the issue but the red rattles the sides and the pocket spits it out.

It leaves a cut on a red to the green pocket for Allen, but he gets his cut wrong and leaves it hanging for his opponent.

Ali stuns it down but can’t find the angle to split the pack and has to pot the blue to middle right and play safe.

CARTER 5-3 ALLEN (14-4)

That’s a corker from Ali as he scorches a long red up to the yellow pocket. He controlled the cue ball brilliantly there, but there’s little more to chew on from an unhospitable table at present.

He takes on an explosive red to try and disrupt the pack and fluke some position on the black, but it doesn’t come, leading to a safety shot up to baulk.

CARTER 5-3 ALLEN (0-4)

Allen needs a flawless run of breaks and frames to turn the tide now but he over screws on a pot on the green that leaves him above the black and way off the stray red near the bottom rail.

He takes on a red up to the middle left but catches the near jaw. It’s early days in this one, but he surely can’t afford such lapses with Carter so close to victory.

CARTER 5-3 ALLEN

Allen takes on a long red from the right of baulk, but it fails to sink into the bottom left bag.

Carter could barely watch it and his relief is tangible as he returns to the table.

The World No.10 is then faced with a tougher long red to the bottom right and thunders it into the bag to give himself a huge chance of securing the frame.

A black to the bottom left and a red up to the middle leaves Allen needing snookers and a break of 36 moves Carter to within a frame of booking a spot in the final.

CARTER 4-3 ALLEN (51-8)

Mark can only chalk up a run of eight and Carter quickly has to calm himself after taking his seat rather angrily over that unfortunate roll for the missed red.

The Captain looks to be brave again but doesn’t get the rub of the green with a stray red off a bullet pot on the black.

He plays safe to baulk and the frame remains in the balance despite his healthy lead.

CARTER 4-3 ALLEN (43-0)

Is Ali feeling the heat?

Well, if he is, he’s decided to combat it by playing aggressive, attacking snooker.

He takes on a long red from baulk and cuts it to the bottom left with real panache. It’s a beauty that tees him up on the green before an excellent plant to the bottom right wrestles him into position for some routine red-black combos.

Once again he has a firm grip of the frame but a red along the bottom cushion moves away from the pocket and stays out. Ali is perplexed and holds out his palm in a gesture of surprise.

CARTER 4-3 ALLEN

Mark can’t afford any slip-up and he sinks the penultimate red before landing just behind the final red close to the middle right via a clever pot on the black.

He needs to produce something special via the green and comes off the angles to land plum on the yellow.

The clearance seems routine from here, but he’s sloppy off the blue and his position isn’t great on the pink.

He hammers it to the bottom left, again coming off the angles, to land just above the black. He duly completes the clearance and it’s very much match ON!

CARTER 4-2 ALLEN (55-27)

There’s a touch of relief for Ali as he pots a ball for the first time in a while despite having had a few decent chances.

It seems to lift an imaginary weight off his shoulders and a cannon into the pack off an explosive pot on the blue to middle right, is simply perfect and suddenly puts him on the right course.

He gobbles up a run of red-black combos to move ahead on the board and the confidence surges back into his cue-action.

He takes a red down the left rail and lands nicely on the pink for a pot to the bottom right. He tries to engineer position on the final two reds close to the lower right cushion and gets a tidy nick to tee up an attempt with the rest to the same pocket.

It's far from easy, particularly with the stakes involved, and he can’t hide his dismay when the red refuses to go down.

The Captain was so close there, but Allen now has the chance for the steal!

CARTER 4-2 ALLEN (0-27)

Ouch! Carter attempts a tough old red up to middle left and catches the near jaw.

It’s fallen away quite suddenly for The Captain and he needs to navigate back on track ASAP.

Allen steps in again but he can only muster eight.

The stakes are high and the pressure mounts. There’s plenty of intrigue attached to this frame. A big 10-20 minutes in this contest lie ahead.

CARTER 4-2 ALLEN (0-19)

Allen gets in again, rattling in a long red and finding position south of the pack via brown to the green pocket.

The Pistol can see a big break on the horizon but it all comes unstuck way shy of that as a black along the bottom rail dances with the jaws of the right corner and somehow stays on the lip of the pocket!

CARTER 4-2 ALLEN (0-6)

That’s outstanding. Allen takes on a bold red to the bottom right, cutting it into the pocket like a bullet from the centre of baulk.

It’s the sort of pot that has everyone thinking this match has turned, but the World No.3 catches the black trying to knock in a red to the bottom right once again and it’s a really poor misjudgement.

Carter could be in but awkward cueing hampers him as he tries to steer a red to middle right and it catches the jaw and stays out.

The tension gripping the air heightens with both players acutely aware of the significance of this frame.

CARTER 4-2 ALLEN

Ali sloppily leaves the cue ball in mid-table and it’s just the tonic for a shell-shocked Mark.

The Northern Irishman slots a red to bottom right and follows up a black with an exceptional use of screw to burrow through a pair of reds and pull to the right for perfect position.

It’s the sort of stylish manoeuvre to provide a much-needed shot in the arm for the World No.3 and he finally hits his groove with a steady run of pots.

The internal alarm bells must have been ringing, but he finally finds top gear with a sublime run of 101 to cut Carter's advantage.

Let’s not forget, Allen was facing the same deficit last night against Mark Selby and he found an escape route to triumph – can he do it again?

CARTER 4-1 ALLEN

Carter grimaces as his safety goes AWOL in the early sparring following the interval.

It quickly disappears as Allen blows a make-able mid-range red to bottom left. Worst still, the red rolls across the bottom rail and says ‘please pot me’ to Carter.

Ali obliges and motors through some routine red-black combos, making neat use of the rest to once again leave Mark with the best seat in the house.

It’s sensible snooker as he takes care of a red that would have been tough trying to hold for the black, instead allowing the cue ball to move north of the blue for an easy pot to middle right.

There’s no doubt who is potting more freely, seeing the patterns quickly and enjoying their evening at this point.

He stretches into a yellow up to its home pocket and comes off the left cushion for a red to the bottom right.

It paves the way for more routine red-black combos and as he passes the half century it puts him within range of a fourth frame on the spin.

At this point the Eurosport Comms team, Dave Hendon and Neal Foulds, mention that no player in the history of The Masters has chalked up three centuries in a row.

It’s the sort of comment that could potentially jinx it, but not this time around. The final red lands plum in the bottom left pocket and The Captain gets over the line with a black to the same pocket. The run ends at 105 with a miss on the yellow, but who cares. History is made and Carter is just two frames from victory.

CARTER 3-1 ALLEN

Allen leans a finger against his upper lip and watches Carter take charge with a pensive expression on his face.

The Pistol has been misfiring so far today, but Carter has settled into his rhythm nicely after a patchy opening frame.

The Captain has really found his range, gliding a red to middle left before following suit with a pink to the opposite pocket.

He cuts a red to the bottom right with the rest and polishes off a black to the corner left, getting a delightful nudge on a red to move it off the lower right cushion.

It’s all the more enjoyable for Carter given it’s frame ball and he tickles it down with the minimum of fuss to once again set himself on a century hunt.

This time he surpasses the ton with a 101 clearance up to the black.

It's three big breaks in a row for the Englishman with a 71, 100, 101 giving him the first significant lead in this semi final.

CARTER 2-1 ALLEN (0-12)

Deja vu! Allen again attempts a safety from baulk but somehow ends up nicking a red into the corner.

He takes full advantage, cutting the yellow up to its own pocket and ending up south of a red that is therefore routine to middle left.

The pack is completely spread and when he eases a pink to bottom right you could forgive Ali for settling into his chair expecting the World No.3 to knock in a heavy score. It doesn’t materialise as Mark completely loses position, meaning he has to take on a very tough pink to middle left. He catches the upper jaw and out of nowhere there’s a big opportunity for Carter to develop a lead here.

CARTER 2-1 ALLEN (0-1)

Did he mean that?

After a spell of excellent safety from both players, Allen gets a triple plant on a red to the bottom left from baulk. It’s surely a fluke, but it looked pretty good and got a gasp of delight out of the crowd once more.

He tucks in-behind the yellow to lay another tricky escape for Carter, who outdoes the pot with an eye of the needle shot off two cushions that clips the edge of a red near to the pink and ends up back in baulk.

CARTER 2-1 ALLEN

Carter sinks Allen’s missed red to that green pocket and uses the brown to work his way back down from baulk.

It’s The Captain who is looking the more assured at this fledgling juncture in the contest and he builds a healthy lead despite a pretty congested pack.

He spies a plant from right to left corner and executes it perfectly to land neatly on a routine black to the same bag.

The World No.10 eases into his groove, making inroads into the pack to leave enough space between reds to offer up a frame-winning opportunity.

A clinical black to the left corner allows him to screw back and roll in a red to middle left that means Allen is staring down the barrel again.

It’s all about whether we will get a glimpse of our first century from there and The Captain duly obliges, ending on a run of 100 to hit the front.

CARTER 1-1 ALLEN (0-8)

A misjudgement on an early safety leaves the cue ball mid-table and allows Allen to gobble up a simple enough red, but he then loses position after the black and fails with a tricky red up to the green pocket.

CARTER 1-1 ALLEN

It’s a strong attempt trying to steal the frame from Allen and he notches up a tidy 32 before coming up short on the final red.

The Captain steps in and knocks in the red and a blue before a bit of showboating on the yellow earns a roar of delight from the crowd. He can’t do the same on the green, but it’s academic as the World No.10 belatedly levels matters.

CARTER 0-1 ALLEN (71-0)

That’s an excellent response from Ali.

He puts aside his opening frame travails, unleashing a stonking long red to bottom right to open before following up with a bullet of a blue to the same bag.

It paves the way for a delightfully sharp break that sees him needing to sink a pink to middle left to leave Allen needing snookers.

He tickles it down but then sees a red to bottom left dance with the jaws before somehow staying out.

Allen won’t allow the curtain to close on this frame just yet and Carter takes his seat with a livid expression etched on his face.

CARTER 0-1 ALLEN

It’s Carter who blinks first in the tense safety exchange and Allen sets about trying to pull out of sight.

A clinical red and a green up to its home pocket via the extension help him work his way down the table. He makes short work of two more reds and a couple of blacks but still needs a red and a colour.

His position isn’t great and he needs to produce another piece of expert cue-manship to glide a tough red down the left rail to the corner.

It helps him along to a run of 36 that proves to be enough despite leaving two reds on the table.

CARTER 0-0 ALLEN (12-42)

It’s all gone a bit scrappy. There are still seven reds left, three tight to the pink in a central position with the other four clustered near to the lower left cushion.

The blue and yellow are tight to baulk, so this frame could still have some legs in it.

CARTER 0-0 ALLEN (12-42)

Allen is first to adjust the sight on his cue after a couple of near misses from both players, and he follows up a long red to bottom left with a routine black-red. However, he’s left himself with much to do on a cut up to the black to take it into the bottom left. It’s a tricky old shot, but he conjures up some of the magic that helped him dig out that 147 last night, producing an excellent pot when he needs it most.

It's all going swimmingly on a run of 25 until a routine red down the left rail jiggles with the jaw of the pocket and pops out.

Both players are showing early nerves here in what's proving to be a cagey opener.

CARTER 0-0 ALLEN (12-17)

Ali offers a wry smile when the cue ball catches the jaw and stays mid-table. Allen grabs the rest and looks to tickle down a red to the corner left, but the ball refuses the invitation on this occasion leading to a couple of gasps from the crowd.

CARTER 0-0 ALLEN (12-17)

The Captain takes advantage of his opponent’s miss, fizzing down a diagonal red to the bottom left and then tucking down a simple black to the right corner.

He overruns the cue ball, however, and ends up playing a blinding safety in-behind the blue up near the yellow pocket.

Allen comes off two cushions with his first attempt at an escape but just misses the bottom of the pack by a whisker. He adds pace second time around and it’s enough to avoid leaving anything on.

CARTER 0-0 ALLEN (0-17)

Allen sizzles down a long red to the bottom left to open and then mulls over a colour up in baulk. The blue is free to the yellow pocket but after some deliberation he opts to take on the green up the right cushion to its home pocket via the rest. It’s an inspired decision as he lands perfectly on a red to bottom right that presents an opening for a decent run.

A routine black to the opposite corner follows but the break ends on 17 when he overcuts a red to the same corner left pocket.

HERE WE GO

The players are about to get their intros. Will The Captain navigate his way into the final or will The Pistol shoot his way to victory?

It's time to find out!

AWESOME ALLEN

Mark Allen made the fifth maximum 147 break in Masters history as it inspired him to hit back from 4-1 down to beat Mark Selby 6-5 in a thrilling quarter-final clash last night.

RONNIE AWAITS

The winner tonight will face Ronnie O’Sullivan in a mouthwatering final on Sunday. The Rocket overwhelmed Shaun Murphy 6-2 in the first of the last four action this afternoon.

H2H

Cater leads the match-up 10-9 across all competitions.

GOOD EVENING

Hello and welcome back to LIVE updates of the 2024 Masters. It’s almost time for the second semi-final of the day between Ali Carter and Mark Allen. It’s the first to six frames and the boys will be at the baulk from 19.00 GMT.

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1615: THAT'S ALL FOR NOW!

Join us again from 1845 for the match between Mark Allen and Ali Carter.

1612: O'SULLIVAN GIVES HIMSELF LOW GRADE

Ronnie O'Sulllivan said he was not happy with the technical aspects of his game, despite the 6-2 victory over Shaun Murphy, and again expressed his dislike of the Alexandra Palace venue.

"The least amount of time I can spend in this venue is good for me, so if I can get in just before, get the job done and get out, that's the best option for me," O'Sullivan told Euroepsort.

"I didn't play since my last game, I had a day off yesterday. I think your well-being is more important [than practice].

"This venue just got to me so I thought I was better off being outside getting some fresh air. I was just round the corner two hours ago well before the match, it wasn't like I was driving in last minute.

"If I was to analyse myself technically I'd give myself a 1 or 2 out of ten, but I'm just trying to will the balls in the hole some times.

"It feels I'm on the edge a lot of the time, it feels like anything can go wrong at any time. I try to get my head down from start to finish and then try not to beat myself up too much out there."

1600: MURPHY: IF RONNIE PLAYS LIKE THAT IN FINAL, HE'S THE WINNER

"I thought I played better in there, than I did in the previous two, as strange as that sounds, from my point of view" Murphy said.

"I missed a few a shots that were of consequence and, of course, when you play the best of all time it's an even sterner test than ever.

"Any small mistake, when he's in that mood - and that's important to say....that wasn't the same Ronnie O'Sullivan who's been here all week. He really turned it on. If he plays like that, he's the winner."

1553: WATCH MURPHY'S TOTAL CLEARANCE

Scant consolation but Murphy got the match's only two centuries. Watch the best of them, his 131 total clearance here:

‘Outstanding’ - Murphy makes superb 131 clearance against O’Sullivan

O'SULLIVAN WILL PLAY THE WINNER OF CARTER AND ALLEN

They will take to the table at 1900.

O'SULLIVAN 6-2 MURPHY

O'Sullivan took a while with a fantastic couple of breaks in the last two frames to take the match.

O'SULLIVAN 5-2 MURPHY (62-8)

Murphy potted a great long red but, after a black, missed a simple one and O'Sullivan will now get over the finishing line.

O'SULLIVAN 5-2 MURPHY (62-0)

O'Sullivan misses an audacious red into the middle pocket and Murphy has an actual reprieve.

O'SULLIVAN 5-2 MURPHY (47*-0)

No luck for O'Sullivan after going into the reds off the black and Murphy has a reprieve - or so we think! O'Sullivan doubles a red in. He is now in vintage form.

O'SULLIVAN 5-2 MURPHY (6-0)

A tremendous long red has O'Sullivan with the first chance.

O'SULLIVAN 5-2 MURPHY

A 71-break puts O'Sullivan within a frame of victory.

O'SULLIVAN 4-2 MURPHY (65-1, 64* BREAK)

O'Sullivan takes frame to go one away from victory.

O'SULLIVAN 4-2 MURPHY (10-1)

Murphy misses the ensuing blue and now O'Sullivan has a good chance to win the frame.

O'SULLIVAN 4-2 MURPHY (1-1)

O'Sullivan pots first red but misses the yellow and Murphy pots well with the rest to start his own break.

O'SULLIVAN 4-2 MURPHY

A break of 90 takes O'Sullivan within two frames of victory.

O'SULLIVAN 3-2 MURPHY (68*-0)

He lost position ahead of the frame-winning red, but produced a beautiful long pot and he looks on for a century now.

O'SULLIVAN 3-2 MURPHY (32-0)

This time O'Sullivan pots after his opponent's break. A long pot this time which he is developing into a frame-winning chance.

O'SULLIVAN 3-2 MURPHY

Murphy makes his second century of the match (exactly 100) to half the arrears.

O'SULLIVAN 3-1 MURPHY (0-72*)

Another frame won in one visit from Murphy. He needs to win the scrappy frames now.

O'SULLIVAN 3-1 MURPHY (0-6)

Murphy with the first chance after the interval after a poor O'Sullivan break this time. He pots a red into the left middle to give himself the perfect start.

1502: WATCH RONNIE'S CRUCIAL SECOND-FRAME FLUKE

‘Oh no’ - O’Sullivan escapes from snooker and flukes pot against Murphy

1456: MURPHY - 'I CRINGE WHEN HE TALKS SOMETIMES'

Read Shaun Murphy discuss his feelings over Ronnie O'Sullivan's controversial comments.

O'SULLIVAN 3-1 MURPHY

O'Sullivan wins the scrappy fourth to take the last before the mid-session interval.

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 MURPHY (52-35)

Poor safety from Murphy allows O'Sullivan to pot the penultimate red and he manages the tricky last to effectively win the frame.

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 MURPHY (44-35)

Excellent snooker from Murphy gives himself a free ball, but he misses the yellow into the left middle.

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 MURPHY (44-31)

Murphy left with a tricky snooker, misses the two reds sandwiched by a pink by the right hand corner.

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 MURPHY (40-31)

"Ronnie shouldn't be missing shots like that," Dominic Dale says. He just needed to roll it in for natural position from the blue for the last red.

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 MURPHY (18-31)

Poor miss from Murphy, tried to create an angle on a straight red and didn't do the most important part.

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 MURPHY (18-0)

With pink and black out of commission it was a hard ask to win the frame at the visit and O'Sullivan has now handed his opponent a chance.

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 MURPHY (1-0)

Poor break from Murphy gives O'Sullivan first chance.

O'SULLIVAN 2-1 MURPHY

A break of 131 for Murphy. If that doesn't give him belief nothing will. Career century 643.

O'SULLIVAN 2-0 MURPHY (0-101)

He missed a double but a fluke kept his break going and he is on for a total clearance now.

O'SULLIVAN 2-0 MURPHY (0-72)

Murphy seals frame, can he bring up a century?

O'SULLIVAN 2-0 MURPHY (0-5)

Two good pots from Murphy into the left middle to get him some much-needed confidence.

O'SULLIVAN 2-0 MURPHY (0-0)

Murphy misses a pot by a mile and then Ronnie does the same.

O'SULLIVAN 2-0 MURPHY

It already feels must win for Murphy this third frame.

O'SULLIVAN 1-0 MURPHY (66-32)

O'Sullivan fluke gets him over the line. No hand of apology. Frosty between these two.

O'SULLIVAN 1-0 MURPHY (56-32)

A kick ends the half-century break for Ronnie, though not before a remarkable green with cue ball flying around the table and just a couple of inches short of perfect position on the last red.

O'SULLIVAN 1-0 MURPHY (8-32)

Murphy misses a black and doesn't quite cover the red into the bottom right pocket. Ronnie on the march now.

O'SULLIVAN 1-0 MURPHY (0-14)

Once more a missed pot opened up a chance, Murphy left O'Sullivan a tough pot, which he missed and opened up the reds, leaving Murphy with a chance to score a meaningful break.

O'SULLIVAN 1-0 MURPHY

Murphy just missed getting a snooker on the blue, leaving O'Sullivan an angle to pot it and then the pink followed for the end of frame.

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 MURPHY (70-51)

O'Sullivan misses a snooker and Murphy pots the brown, one more snooker needed.

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 MURPHY (70-43)

After a very good break, Murphy misses a green along the top cushion and Ronnie potted the green to leave snookers required. But he missed the brown so the game goes on.

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 MURPHY (67-12)

A kick ended O'Sullivan's break just before the finishing line and now Murphy has a chance after a rocket-ed effort into the middle pocket missed.

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 MURPHY (37-12)

Murphy could only get out of a great snooker from O'Sullivan by leaving open a cannon which the rocket fired in and now he looks like winning the frame at this visit.

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 MURPHY (30-12)

A second in-off from Ronnie!!! All Murphy's points from fouls so far.

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 MURPHY (30-4)

O'Sullivan can't quite get the cannon off the black he was hoping for and it is end of break.

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 MURPHY (1-4)

In-off from O'Sullivan gives Murphy chance but he misses and now Ronnie is amongst the balls.

O'SULLIVAN 0-0 MURPHY

O'Sullivan breaks off, left handed naturally.

1325: THE PLAYERS ARE IN THE ARENA

A great reception for both players.

1315: WE ARE MOMENTS AWAY FROM THE PLAYERS BEING ANNOUNCED...

Both players ready to go now.

1310: RONNIE O'SULLIVAN HAS ENTERED THE BUILDING...

Only about eight minutes ago. You might have heard he is not too fond of the venue.

'All nonsense' - McManus, White dismiss 'needless' criticism from O'Sullivan about Alexandra Palace

1308: AN UNDERRATED RIVALRY IN THE GAME

Our own Desmond Kane wrote a fantastic piece earlier about the battles these two have had down the years.

1300: HELLO AND WELCOME TO SEMI-FINAL DAY!

It has been a great tournament so far and today promised to be ramp the excitement levels at the Alexandra Palace even higher as Ronnie O'Sullivan faces Shaun Murphy in the first semi-final starting in a few minutes.

Friday recap: Allen hits 147 in tense win over Selby after Carter halts Trump run

Mark Allen made a maximum 147, and later produced a stunning comeback to beat Mark Selby 6-5 and book his place in the semi-finals of the Masters.

The 2018 champion trailed 4-1 at one stage, but Selby's form dipped and Allen pounced to secure the win and a meeting with Ali Carter in the semi-finals on Saturday evening.

Allen makes Masters maximum 147 break against Selby

Earlier in the day, Carter ended Judd Trump’s Masters defence after claiming a memorable 6-5 win to book his place in the final four.

World No. 2 Trump trailed 1-0, 2-1 and 4-2, but kept his head above water and had a chance to close out the win in the 10th, but missed a match-ball red and Carter pinched the frame before winning the decider.