O’Sullivan’s victory takes him one step closer to winning his first Masters title since 2017, though he admitted that Ding did not make it easy for him – especially after his opponent hit the eighth 147 of his career. Speaking after the match, the 48-year-old said: “Yeah, unbelievable 147 from Ding.
“I knew he was going to make it from about the second or third red. His positional player is so good. He wasn’t out of position once. What a magnificent player. Great break and I was pleased to get over the line in the end.”
Ding then replied: “After the interval, I didn’t think I’d play that well. To make a maximum is amazing. It’s been a long time since I felt like that. I’m happy. It was so lucky!”
