WHAT began as a stroll for Ronnie O’Sullivan turned into a white-knuckle ride, with the title-holder reaching the semifinals of the Welsh Open only after being fully extended by Neil Robertson, a talented Australian fast emerging as one of the sport’s most fearsome potters. O’Sullivan scraped through 5-4, having led 4-1.

For the third time in his career — equalling Stephen Hendry’s record — O’Sullivan constructed century breaks in three consecutive frames, 110, 114 and 102, to move three up with four to play. Most players would have accepted their fate, but Robertson, who had beaten Jimmy White and John Higgins this week, stuck with it.

The 22-year-old from Melbourne began to sow the seeds of doubt in O’Sullivan’s mind by clawing back to 4-3 and when he fearlessly potted a long green to launch the clearance that enabled him to steal the eighth frame on the black, prospects of an unlikely escape were looming large.

It was clear that O’Sullivan was feeling the pressure. Early in the decider he jawed a routine black and missed a simple red playing left-handed. Robertson pounced with a run of 41. Crucially, however, Robertson surrendered position on the last red, O’Sullivan laid a snooker and cleared up from the opportunity that resulted.

“You can see he’s going to be a champion. Every credit to Neil, but I lost my timing halfway through the match. It was awful. At one stage I didn’t fancy doing anything but I found a way to stumble over the line. I’m not like I used to be. These days I can win when I’m not buzzing,” O’Sullivan, who now plays Barry Hawkins, said.

Hawkins had beaten Peter Ebdon in both of their previous meetings, most recently at the British Open in November, and when he established a 3-0 lead the hat-trick looked likely. Instead, Hawkins missed a straightforward pink to a middle pocket when handily positioned and his game temporarily fell apart.

Ebdon, renowned for tenacity when backed into a tight corner, recovered to 3-3 but, just when it appeared as though Hawkins was irreversibly sliding to defeat, he was handed a lifeline. Disregarding percentages, Ebdon misjudged a plant employing the rest and Hawkins stepped in with a run of 53 that featured pots of the highest quality.

With confidence restored, Hawkins, the world No 43, followed up with a run of 68 in the eighth frame for a 5-3 win that ensured his debut in the quarter-finals of a ranking event after nine years as a professional.

O’Sullivan blocks his path to the final but it could so easily have been Robertson, a player to monitor with interest for the remainder of the season.

Stephen Hendry, trying to win the event for the fourth time, produced a vintage display, and constructed three century breaks, in beating Ken Doherty 5-2 last night. He now plays Mark King, who, in a match of much poorer quality, edged Ryan Day, the sole surviving Welsh hope, 5-4.