Sublime O'Sullivan crushes Hendry

Ronnie O'Sullivan overwhelmed seven-time champion Stephen Hendry 17-6 to reach his third 888.com World Championship final with a session to spare.

O'Sullivan produced breathtaking snooker, at one stage winning 12 frames on the trot, to set up a best-of-35 meeting with either Joe Perry or Ali Carter.

Hendry looked shell-shocked at the demolition job undertaken on him by the game's most naturally gifted player after the duo had ended the opening session at 4-4.

The Scot, who dominated the game in the 1990s, failed to pot a ball in seven of the eight frames O'Sullivan had won during Friday morning to inflict the first session whitewash on Hendry at Sheffield in his distinguished career.

Hendry had handed out similar punishment to Terry Griffiths (1992), Jimmy White (1992) and Danny Fowler (1993) but this time was on the receiving end.

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.

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.

It was hard to believe Hendry had led 4-1 at one stage given the way he was completely outplayed by O'Sullivan during a match that will live long in the memory.

O'Sullivan, who had defeated Hendry 17-4 in the 2004 semi-final, resumed in the the evening in the same vein as the morning onslaught.

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.