Ronnie O'Sullivan may have slipped down the rankings of late but the snooker star was in fine form as he saw off Joe Perry in Germany.
O'Sullivan secured an impressive 5-1 win over Perry in the German Masters on Friday, hitting two centuries on route to his victory.
The Rocket clawed his way back from 4-0 behind to win his opener in Berlin against Andrew Higginson but the three-time world champion had no such problems in his last eight showdown.
O'Sullivan is currently ranked as the world number 16, and if he slips out of the top 16 he will have to qualify for major events, such as the world championship in Sheffield later this year.
However, following his performances in Berlin it now seems as if O'Sullivan is set to retain his place amongst the sport's elite, meaning he will avoid the arduous process of having to qualify for the showpiece event at the Crucible Theatre.
O'Sullivan has been critical of his own performances in recent months but the 36-year-old admits he was happy with his display against Perry.
O'Sullivan told the official World Snooker website: "I needed to score well. I'm pleased with the way I played."
With only the Welsh Open to come before the cut off point in the rankings to decide the automatic qualifiers for the World Championship, it would now appear as if O'Sullivan has avoided having to qualify for the Crucible thanks to the ranking points he has already picked up in Berlin.