Defending UK Championship title holder Ronnie O’Sullivan has gone another step closer to a landmark achievement, after reaching the semi-finals of the competition with victory over Martin O’Donnell.

The Englishman is now just two wins away from what would be a record 19 tournament victories in BBC ‘Triple Crown’ events, which consist of the World and UK Championships, and Masters.

O’Sullivan appeared to be frustrated by distractions in the audience during the quarter-final encounter with O’Donnell, but the the reigning champion still ran out a comfortable 6-1 winner.

Despite the score, O’Sullivan was full of praise for his opponent at the end and feels the 32-year-old O’Donnell has the ability to work his way up the rankings in the future.

He told the BBC: “That was a tough game for me and he is a player you want to do well because he puts the work in and I’m sure he will be a top-16 player very soon.

“I had never played Martin before and you never know what to expect in that situation. I didn’t know his scoring record, or his potting, so I just eased my way into it, but it was a good match because I had to be patient.”

Tom Ford is now waiting for O’Sullivan in the last four of the competition, after he managed to overcome Joe Perry with a 6-2 victory.

O’Sullivan is 1.10 to win his semi-final, while Ford is 7.25 to cause an upset and reach the final.