OSullivan sets up Higgins clash

He will now play world champion John Higgins on Saturday evening after the Scotsman comfortably beat Ryan Day 5-1.

Shaun Murphy beat Ken Doherty 5-0 in the battle of former world champions.

Breaks of 75, 68, 62, 53 and 123 sealed victory in 75 minutes for Murphy, who now faces Liang Wenbo after his 5-3 win over defending champion Ricky Walden.

Ding went ahead against O'Sullivan with a break of 57, the first of seven over 50 between the players in a high-quality encounter.

O'Sullivan moved 3-1 ahead after runs of 64 and 101, a 99 from Ding reduced the deficit to 4-3 but O'Sullivan sealed it with an 83.

"I went into the match with the mentality that I had to raise my game and play better than I had in my first two matches," O'Sullivan said.

"Ding had been flowing and I knew I could lose. That helped keep my mind sharp. It was a strange game, Ding was first in the balls in every frame. He'll be disappointed because he might feel he deserved to win.

"Sometimes a frame is decided on one ball, and you have to take your chance when it comes."

Despite O'Sullivan's prediction, Ding said: "I'm not disappointed because I stayed focused throughout the match and it was the best I played during the tournament. I was a bit unlucky."

Read in full at the BBC snooker website