Ronnie O’Sullivan overcame a dizzy spell to thrash Marco Fu 6-0 and reach the quarter-finals of the Dafabet Masters at Alexandra Palace.
O’Sullivan is seeking an eighth Masters title, and made three century breaks during the opening four frames, with Fu failing to pot a single ball before the interval.
While the 42-year-old defending champion showed compelling form to clinch victory, he said afterwards that he was under the weather.
O’Sullivan said on BBC2: “To be honest with you, I was really struggling. I don’t know if I have got a virus or something and I just feel very dizzy.
“I was just playing off instinct. I was thinking, ‘Don’t stop, just pot balls’. I was really quite struggling and have been like that for the last five or six days.
“I don’t feel ill, I just feel dizzy. I think it is maybe a lack of magnesium or something, that is what my nutritionist told me.
“I have been eating well for the last four months, maybe I have overdone the exercise when I have been at home and made myself a bit ill.
“I know I can get through it, I still feel good physically and you just have to do a job.”
In Tuesday’s late match, Kyren Wilson battled past Barry Hawkins 6-4 to secure his place in the last eight.
Hawkins, the world number seven, opened up with a break of 131 and then 120 in frame three to lead 2-1.
Wilson, though, recovered to move in front himself with a run of 109 and another ton took frame seven.
Although Hawkins levelled the match at 4-4, Wilson, ranked at 14 in the world, produced two more half-century breaks to book his quarter-final spot against Mark Williams.
O’Sullivan, meanwhile, will play Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen for a place in Saturday’s semi-finals.
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