Ronnie O’Sullivan had to wait until 3am for the Saudi victory, but does not get below 167

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There was no Gold Ball finish for Ronnie O’Sullivan, but he did bring a Golden Touch to his first appearance in Saudi Arabia.

But it was a teary-eyed performance as the Rocket eventually won his quarter-final against John Higgins at 3am local time!

Ronnie O’Sullivan had to wait until 3am to claim his victory over John Higgins

O'Sullivan claimed a 4–0 whitewash over Higgins to advance to the semi-finals — O’Sullivan claimed a 4–0 whitewash over Higgins to advance to the semi-finals

If anyone can muster a 147 and then attempt to sink the controversial 20-point Golden Ball – which is unique to this event and is on the cusp – it is the seven-time world snooker champion.

But even with his freakish talent and magical action, the world number 1 was unable to achieve maximum breakthrough in the Middle East and then go for glory with an inaugural 167.

Nevertheless, he still showed the locals why he’s the best there ever was with fast breaks of 135, 129, 102 and 82 in this 4-0 whitewash.

Two of the three previous quarter-finals on Tuesday had gone the distance to a seventh-frame decider and this meant the final clash between the Class of 92 graduates did not start until 1.45am in Riyadh.

Higgins, 48, had gotten up after 3 a.m. the night before when he knocked out Welshman Mark Williams in the first round of the 12-man invitational competition.

It would be a real test of the Scot’s stamina and concentration and he struggled with the early morning action.

Higgins didn’t pot a single ball across the four frames – the four points against his name in frame three came via an O’Sullivan foul shot.

Considering the time on the clock, the ruthless O’Sullivan, 48, was in no mood to hang around as he set up a semi-final battle with Judd Trump.

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Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of people in the arena for Crucible King O’Sullivan’s performance – a contrast to the rows and rows of empty seats for Monday’s preliminaries.

Ahead of his last eight draw, O’Sullivan spoke about the Golden Ball, which carries a mega £400,000 bonus if it is correctly pocketed after a 147.

Ronnie O’Sullivan confirms where historic golden ball will be placed ahead of Riyadh World Masters of Snooker event

He laughed, “I’ve had a few 167s, but they drive my car. I don’t know if I can get a 167 on the table. But listen, it’s possible.

“If you get it, there is a nice prize. There is an important incentive in that.

“If the opportunity presents itself, you should of course try it.

“We all want to win the tournament. But if you get the chance for the 167… I mean getting a 147 is a big ask. Getting the Golden Ball off the barrier cushion is an even bigger ask.

“When the opportunity presents itself, you have to take it.”

When the tournament was announced in January, human rights activists called on top stars to use their voices to speak out about the atrocities they say are being perpetuated every day by the Saudi regime.

But O’Sullivan, who wore a traditional headdress when he arrived in the Kingdom, added: “I love it here, I love the Middle East, I love the culture.

“It’s always great to come to places where you feel like you can relax and enjoy your time.

“The fans are buzzing. They watch you on TV, see you in real life, it’s great for them. When you go to the clubs, it’s buzzing.

“I think the players are all buzzing. We play a lot of tournaments. It’s fun to play in a prestige tournament.

“This is one of them, the twelve best players in the world. Every match is like a final.

“I pick and choose the tournaments I want to play in. I choose four to five from the season and use the rest as practice to keep me sharp.

“At least give myself a chance in the other tournaments where I want to do well.”