LONDON, Jan. 19 -- China's Ding Junhui was beaten by seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-3 in the semifinals of the Masters snooker tournament at Alexandra Palace here on Saturday.
Ding, the winner in 2011, did not score a single point in three of the first four frames as 43-year-old O'Sullivan pulled ahead 4-0 with top breaks of 58, 75, 52 and 56.
World number eight Ding, playing in the semifinals for the first time in eight years, took a scrappy fifth frame then made a break of 107 in the sixth. His failed maximum attempt came in the seventh, missing the green when just five pots away from a 147, though his 122 reduced the deficit to 4-3.
In the eighth, O'Sullivan built a 56-0 lead, then Ding had three chances to counter but couldn't capitalise, and O'Sullivan potted the third last red to seal it. He went on to take the ninth with a run of 93 and secured his 13th Masters final.
Ding, who was consoled and kissed on the left cheek by O'Sullivan after the match, said, "He said he loved me. He said I was great to watch. He said it was good to see me playing better. I told him I'm confident at the moment, and I know I'm getting better. I believe in myself that in the next 10 years I can be a very strong player.
"It's difficult to play Ronnie but it's the only way I can improve myself. Today my break-building was very good, but he beat me on the safety side. On another day, if he hadn't played that well I would have had a good chance to win it."
O'Sullivan, one of the best players the sport has even produced, said, "If it had gone 4-4 he probably would have beaten me, so I was a bit fortunate.
"I was very nervous today. In the first few frames I was shaking, the adrenaline was pumping, and I wasn't handling it that well. I managed to keep potting a few balls, but I didn't feel as serene as usual. That's how it is sometimes, you have to control it and do what you can to keep it under control."
O'Sullivan will face the winner between Judd Trump and Neil Robertson in the best-of-19 frames on Sunday.