SNOOKER:Ronnie O'Sullivan and Graeme Dott will clash in the first of today's semi-finals in the China Open. The Rocket and the world champion both impressed in their quarter-final matches at the Beijing University Gymnasium yesterday.

But while Dott cruised to a 5-2 win over fellow Scot John Higgins, two-time China Open champion O'Sullivan had to battle back from 3-2 down to beat Hong Kong's Marco Fu.

Barry Hawkins and Jamie Cope will clash in the second of today's semi-finals. While Cope cruised to a 5-0 whitewash of former world champion Shaun Murphy in their quarter-final clash, Hawkins edged through in dramatic fashion in a last-frame decider with Ken Doherty, another former world champion.

The Dartford left-hander edged the Dubliner 5-4, but at 60-0 in the ninth and final frame looked to be heading home.