O'Sullivan is under doctor's orders to look after himself in Berlin as he battles glandular fever, but a snooker health check would confirm the world number 16 is back in good shape.

The 36-year-old three-time former world champion's last major ranking title came at the Shanghai Masters in September 2009, when he beat Liang Wenbo in the final.

Now though he is threatening to put a halt to that disappointing run, after edging past Stephen Lee in Saturday's semi-final, beating his fellow English potter 6-4.

Maguire was more convincing, whitewashing Shaun Murphy 6-0 with breaks of 77, 52, 62 and 97, having crushed John Higgins 5-0 earlier in the tournament.

The 30-year-old Scot can point to an even longer barren streak, having won the last of his four ranking titles at the China Open in 2008.

O'Sullivan almost lost in the first round this week, but could now finish with the title, but he revealed after beating Lee that he is far from at peak health.

Glandular fever

"I'm just relieved to get though because I've really been struggling with glandular fever this week," he said on worldsnooker.com.

"I didn't think I was going to get through the match. It's not an excuse for missing balls, but sometimes I feel dead on my feet. I was wiped out even before the game, I just had to try to get through it.

"I've had it since early December. I was playing a lot of matches and travelling from event to event with a lot of late nights, and I was exhausted. I knew it was building, but I was doing well in a couple of tournaments and there wasn't time to rest.

"Before the UK Championship I was ill for a week. After that I had three weeks off and was able to get some rest, but then it came back again about 10 days ago.

"I've had some tests done because it was important to find out what it was. I had it before about six years ago and the symptoms were the same. It can just knock me out. The doctors say I have to take it easy but at times this week I have been exhausted. I haven't even been running or hit the gym for the past two weeks, which is not like me.

"There's a lot expected of us as players, but my health comes first and I'm not prepared to compromise. I can't push myself over the edge. There's no cure for glandular fever, it's a virus which stays in your body. There's nothing you can do except rest so I'll go back to the hotel now and sleep.

"I have to listen to my body. Both the doctors I have been to told me it is a serious illness and I need to be careful, because if it gets worse then it can take years to recover. I want to enjoy my life."

On Sunday O'Sullivan and Maguire contest a best-of-17-frames final spread across afternoon and evening sessions.

Reflecting on his emphatic win over Murphy, Maguire said: "I wasn't expecting that. I thought that if I won it would be a close match. To win 6-0 is a big bonus.

"It should be a brilliant final tomorrow, to play Ronnie in front of 2,500 fans will be special."