Saudi Arabia Masters: Ronnie O’Sullivan loses in quarter-final

Ronnie O’Sullivan lost 6-4 to Si Jiahui at the quarter-final stage of the inaugural Saudi Arabia Masters in Riyadh on Thursday.

China’s Jiahui led 2-0 and then 5-2 but O’Sullivan won two frames in a row to threaten a comeback before his opponent sealed victory.

England’s seven-time world champion O’Sullivan had complained that “the way I’ve been playing, it’s no fun for me” after a comeback win over Zhang Anda in the previous round.

Jiahui will face Wales’ Mark Williams in the semi-finals after his 6-0 defeat of Englishman Jimmy Robertson – including a break of 133 in the final frame.

Judd Trump will play Shaun Murphy in the other semi-final.

World number one Trump beat Australian Neil Robertson 6-3 in their quarter-final.

Trump surged to a 3-0 lead, making a break of 100 in the third frame for his 997th career century, before Robertson pegged the advantage back to 4-3.

But in the end Bristol-born Trump won through as the challenge from his fellow former world champion faded.

Trump’s fellow Englishman Murphy went through with a 6-2 victory over China’s Xiao Guodong, albeit making only one half-century break – a 61 in the eighth frame.

The launch of the Saudi Arabia Masters has made it the most lucrative tournament in snooker after the World Championship.

Organisers are calling it the unofficial ‘fourth major’ – following the World Championship, Masters and UK Championship – as it offers a £2.3m prize fund with £500,000 going to the winner.