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Rocket Ronnie blasts Hendry away to reach world final

02/05/2008

Ronnie O'Sullivan is through to the world championship final after crushing Steven Hendry 17-6 at the Crucible.

The player, nicknamed the Rocket, stunned the seven-time world champion in the morning session by winning eight straight frames to lead 12-4.

Hendry reduced his deficit to seven frames in the evening session before breaks of 120 and 123 sealed victory for O'Sullivan with a day to spare.

The two-time world champion will play either Joe Perry or Ali Carter in Sunday's final.

With the semi-final level at 4-4 overnight, O'Sullivan put himself in a commanding position with breaks of 93, 57, 87, 133, 135, 85 and 70. It was the first time Hendry had lost a session 8-0 in nearly 20 years of competing in the world championship.

The Essex-born potter continued to dominate in the evening session with a clearance of 120 to increase his lead.

Scot Hendry made a brief comeback, including a break of 85, to end his 12-frame losing streak.

O'Sullivan held his nerve to win the next frame 75-0 with a break of 68, and then went 15-6 with a stunning break of 123.

He made a break of 56 to win frame 22 after two outrageous flukes, and sealed a memorable victory when he cleared up after Hendry missed the final black.

It is the second time in recent years O'Sullivan has humiliated Hendry in the semi-finals at the Crucible, following his 17-4 win in 2004.