Ronnie O'Sullivan reaches the final of the inaugural Snooker 900 Global Championship

O’Sullivan - who last weekend won the world seniors snooker championship title on his debut in the event - will face either Luca Brecel or Joe Perry in Sunday’s best of 19 frames title match at the Crucible Sports and Social Club in Reading.

Both O’Sullivan and Wilson entered the fray at this unique £100,000 tournament on Friday - as two of the top four seeds, the former world champions were exempt from the opening three rounds which were held across Tuesday to Thursday in Berkshire.

And both could count themselves very fortunate in surviving their opening assignments, with Wilson ousting India’s Pankaj Advani 5-4 and O’Sullivan pipping home venue cueman Billy Castle in a 5-4 deciding frame outcome, too.

Whilst this event isn’t officially classed as a professional one, it was the first competitive meeting between O’Sullivan and Wilson since their memorable encounter in the quarter-finals of the Saudi Arabia Masters last August that saw eventual runner-up O’Sullivan take the final three frames for a 6-5 win.

Engaged in another best of 11 frames affair for their latest duel - although under ‘Snooker 900’ timed conditions - it was ‘The Rocket’ who got off to a trademark start with a break of 121 in the opening frame before doubling his lead with a 68 in the second.

Reigning Masters champion Wilson got on the scoreboard in the third and then levelled up before the mid-session interval with the help of a 41.

On resumption, O’Sullivan punished his opponent for not contacting a cushion - under these rules, that results in a foul, and all fouls are ‘cueball in hand’ for the oncoming player - by making a 54 to edge back in front, but Wilson restored parity at 3-3 before taking the lead for the first time following a run of 76.

O’Sullivan, though, managed to string together the next three frames - despite not crafting a half-century in any of them - to record a 6-4 victory.

The record-breaking 41-time ranking event champion has not lifted a trophy on snooker’s professional circuit in over two years, but in recent weeks away from the top-flight he has tasted success.

Last month at the iconic Goffs venue in Ireland, O’Sullivan whitewashed fellow ‘Class of 92’ graduate John Higgins 6-0 in the final to win the John Virgo Trophy - although Higgins would more than get his own back just weeks later with an epic 13-12 win in the last 16 of the world championship at the Crucible.

Just days after that narrow loss, O’Sullivan returned to the sport’s grandest stage where he won the flagship event on the world seniors snooker tour with a 10-4 final win over Perry.

Now, only a week on, the 50-year-old is on the cusp of adding another new accolade to his illustrious career CV.