24/3/00: Ronnie O'Sullivan, stripped of the Benson & Hedges Irish Masters title two years ago after failing a drugs test, reached the semi-finals of the event in County Kildare with a 6-4 defeat of Matthew Stevens.

And O'Sullivan, who had to hand the trophy and £61,130 first prize back in 1998 after traces of marijuana were found in his urine sample, then claimed he still considers himself to be a previous winner.

He produced a volley of big breaks to prevent Stevens pulling off a hat-trick of Scottish, Wembley and Irish Masters titles, but it was past events that were still fresh in his mind.

O'Sullivan had beaten Ken Doherty 9-3 in the final two years ago but the record books have Doherty down as the winner.

"Rules are rules but smoking a joint is not going to enhance my performance," said O'Sullivan.

"As far as I'm concerned I still won this tournament. It's disappointing not to see my picture up there with all the other past winners."

Perhaps with a point to prove O'Sullivan made a few unforced errors but was generally solid in advancing to the last four.

Stevens claimed the first frame with runs of 32 and 50 but O'Sullivan, enjoying huge crowd support, then hit a rich vein of scoring form.

The world number four, who lost to Stevens in the corresponding stage of the Scottish Masters and UK Championship, made breaks of 53, 65 and 82 to lead 3-1 at the interval.

O'Sullivan was in first again in the next but broke down on 36 and, when he later scattered the reds in escaping from a snooker, Stevens pounced with an 85 clearance to reduce his arrears to 3-2.

A quickfire 77 made it 4-2 but O'Sullivan, leading 47-7, missed a simple red in the seventh frame and Stevens, displaying admirable temperament, completed a far from straightforward 54 clearance to the pink.

O'Sullivan made 44 and, after Stevens had recklessly taken on a tricky red, 37, to move 5-3 ahead before the Welshman responded with a flawless 92 to trail 5-4.

But O'Sullivan ended the contest in style. His run of 94 in the last frame fell short of a century only because he attempted a showy pink using his left hand.

O'Sullivan said: "Most players head back to the practice table when there is something wrong but I'm just waiting for it to click and then I'll be capable of winning the tournament.

"The other players don't know what to expect and neither do I. But if it clicks then I won't make so many errors and I'll be hard to beat."