Masters: Ronnie O'Sullivan & Barry Hawkins into semi-finals

Ronnie O'Sullivan reached the semi-finals of the Masters with an impressive 6-3 victory over three-time winner and world number one Mark Selby.

The five-time Masters champion knocked in one century and six-half centuries, including a match-winning 73 in frame nine, after Selby had a break of 70.

"You're not going to win this tournament by playing negative," O'Sullivan, 40, told BBC Sport.

In the day's other quarter-final, Barry Hawkins beat Mark Allen 6-2.

Englishman Hawkins, the world number eight, lost the first frame as Northern Irishman Allen posted a 109 break, but won the next four to take control of the match.

Allen briefly halted his charge by taking frame six, but Hawkins claimed the last two to set up a semi-final contest with Judd Trump or Neil Robertson, who play on Friday (13:00 GMT - live on BBC Two).

O'Sullivan will face either John Higgins or Stuart Bingham (Friday from 19:00 GMT - live on BBC Two) in the last four.

BBC snooker analyst Steve Davis called O'Sullivan's clearance to win the match "one of the greatest of all time".

However, five-time world champion O'Sullivan, who is playing his first major tournament since taking a break from the sport last April, insisted he is not on top of his game.

He said: "I felt a bit more relaxed and comfortable. My attitude was fantastic. But I'm struggling with my technique and it's just the occasion and the competitive instinct within me that's making me try and find something."