Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan moved into the Betway UK Championship fourth round with a comfortable victory over Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham.

O’Sullivan, who is chasing the eighth UK title of his stellar career, was in dominant form at York Barbican, winning 6-2.

Breaks of 97 and 76 underpinned his success, with a spectacular pink to the corner pocket sealing victory in frame eight.

O’Sullivan did not drop a frame in the first two rounds, whitewashing Ross Bulman and Tian Pengfei.

And although Saengkham ended that sequence, he had no answer to O’Sullivan’s all-round game.

Betway UK Championship – Day Two – York Barbican
Ding Junhui, who will be the next opponent for Ronnie O’Sullivan. (Simon Cooper/PA Wire)

O’Sullivan will meet China’s Ding Junhui in the last-16 after he came through 6-4 against Ali Carter.

And Stephen Maguire booked his place in the next round with a 6-2 victory over his fellow Scot Graeme Dott.