Ronnie O’Sullivan whitewashes Stephen Maguire as fine form continues in China

Ronnie O’Sullivan needed a little over an hour to whitewash Stephen Maguire 5-0 and book a spot in the last-16 of the Xi’an Grand Prix in China.

O’Sullivan dropped just one game as he swept aside Yao Pengcheng in Wednesday’s tournament opener and the seven-time world champion was even more uncharitable against Maguire, ranked 25th in the world.

Maguire, the former world number two who has won seven ranking titles including the 2004 UK Championship, won a meagre 25 points in five frames contrasted with his vaunted opponent’s 471.

O’Sullivan, back in action this week for the first time since losing a last-frame decider to Neil Robertson at the Saudi Arabia Masters final in August, started with a break of 134 on Thursday.

Further breaks of 70, 63 and 85 carried O’Sullivan to the brink of victory, which he duly wrapped up after a scrappier fifth frame to set up a showdown against Wales’ Jak Jones on Friday afternoon.

“I feel like I’ve played great all season,” O’Sullivan told the World Snooker Tour.

“But like I always say, this game has a way of humbling you. I’m very, very happy with my game but talk to me in two, three, four weeks or two months, I’ll be ‘the game’s really hard, really difficult’.

“You can’t take this game for granted, you have to enjoy it while it’s good and when it’s not so good, you have to suck it up and just get through those periods.

“At the moment, I’m enjoying the game and enjoying playing and long may it continue.”

Robertson, the world number three, made breaks of 126 and 103 but was eliminated after He Guoqiang won the final two frames to clinch a 5-4 win, despite He’s highest visit being 57 in the match.

Matthew Stevens, who knocked out world number one Judd Trump in the previous round, rebounded from 4-1 down to level at 4-4 against Lyu Haotian but lost the decider.

Former world champions Mark Williams, Kyren Wilson, Shaun Murphy and Stuart Bingham progressed, while Robert Milkins made four century breaks as he edged out Jimmy Robertson 5-4.