Ronnie O'Sullivan reached his third World Championship final after crushing seven-time champion Stephen Hendry 17-6.
O'Sullivan wins with a session in hand
Ronnie O'Sullivan reached his third World Championship final after crushing seven-time champion Stephen Hendry 17-6.
The Essex cueman did the hard work in the morning session, winning all eight frames to lead 12-4.
The evening session was a more even affair although O'Sullivan was always on top and has earned himself a day off on Saturday after winning the semi-final with a session to spare.
Hendry failed to pot a ball in seven of the eight frames O'Sullivan had won during the morning to inflict the first session whitewash on the Scot at Sheffield in his distinguished career.
O'Sullivan at one stage scored 448 points without reply and the record for the tournament - 485 points by John Higgins against Anthony Hamilton in 2000 - looked under threat before Hendry finally stopped the onslaught.
Centuries
But O'Sullivan carried on in the same vein during the evening session and in all registered five centuries during the match to take his tally over the past fortnight to 11.
O'Sullivan, who had defeated Hendry 17-4 in their 2004 semi-final, resumed in the the evening in the same vein as the morning.
Hendry elected not to take on a long red but let in O'Sullivan when he unsuccessfully tried to play safe and the 'Rocket' made him pay dearly with a 126 - his third complete clearance of the match.
That made it 12 frames on the bounce for O'Sullivan but in the next Hendry ended that losing streak with an 85 after an excellent opening pot.
Hendry was first amongst the balls in the 19th frame with a 54 and, after O'Sullivan had missed a blue at pace, he cleared up sufficiently with a 46 to pull another one back.
But O'Sullivan crept nearer to the finishing line in the last frame before the interval with a run of 68.
No mercy
There was no mercy being shown by the 32-year-old and when the players returned to the table, O'Sullivan compiled a superb 123.
As if to rub salt into Hendry's wounds, O'Sullivan fluked two reds during the early part of the 22nd frame before a run of 56 took him to within one frame of victory at 16-6.
Hendry should have taken the match at least into a 24th frame but left the final black in the jaws and turned to shake O'Sullivan's hand.
O'Sullivan will face either Ali Carter or Joe Perry in the final on Sunday and Monday.
