Snooker legend Ray Reardon has a new nickname for 'Rocket' Ronnie O'Sullivan - the first player to reach the Embassy World Championship semi-finals.

"The way Ronnie plays is just magical," enthused six-times world title holder Reardon after watching O'Sullivan overwhelm Anthony Hamilton 13-3 in Sheffield last night.

"So, I'm going to call him the Magician. I've told him that but sometimes he just gets lost in his own spell.

"What a talent," added Reardon, who won his last world crown when O'Sullivan was just three-years old.

"Why he has not won more tournaments I just don't know?. It's amazing to watch him play right and left-handed.

"He is not belittling his opponent and I think he should do it more often.

"We are getting along just fine," added the 71-year-old Torquay-based veteran.

"He is here to win the title and I'm here to see he does it. Otherwise there is no point in being here.

"You could say I'm a father figure if you like. I've spoken to him about his behaviour and I'm happy.

"He hasn't done it to anyone else but himself. However, I can't condone what he has done.

"In fact, I deplore it," added Reardon, who was a policeman as well as a miner before becoming a snooker professional. "And if there is any repeat I'm off."

O'Sullivan certainly showed impeccable table manners against Hamilton; no early concessions, no swearing under his breath and no crude hand signals.

He let his snooker do the talking and left Hamilton practically speechless. The 'Magician' increased his tournament tally of centuries to 10 with four against the 'Sheriff of Pottingham.'

And unless Ian McCulloch produces a major upset this evening, O'Sullivan will face seven-times champion Stephen Hendry for a place in the best-of-35-frames final.

"It's nice to have someone like Ray telling me I'm doing things right," said O'Sullivan, who broke Hamilton's resistance by taking a 7-1 lead after the first session.

"We get on well. He is a top man and that's important if you are to have a working relationship.

"Two or three times he has told me there are other ways, and I'm listening to him."

O'Sullivan wouldn't be drawn on an impending showdown with Hendry, who needs seven more frames to qualify for the last four.

Lancastrian McCulloch ended the first session with a century break but knowing O'Sullivan awaits in the next round is all the inspiration Hendry requires to avoid any slip-ups.

Matthew Stevens, runner-up four years ago, and Hendry's fellow Scot Graeme Dott are favourites to contest the other semi-final.

UK champion Stevens coasted 11-5 in front of Joe Perry, who couldn't reproduce the form that ended the reign of Mark Williams in the last 16

Stevens won five successive frames in last night's second session to seize the initiative.

World number 13 Dott resumed today with a 6-2 lead over David Gray, the world number 12, in a match between two first-time Sheffield quarter-finalists.