By Clive Jones BBC Sport at Wembley

O'Sullivan won the last three frames

O'Sullivan will play Paul Hunter in Sunday's final, after recovering from 4-3 down to win the last three frames.

Neither player was at their fluent best with the tension of the occasion getting to both of them.

But the pair produced some superb breaks, with O'Sullivan notching the highest of the tournament so far with a 138 clearance in the second.

There was never more than a frame between them until O'Sullivan clinched victory with breaks of 56 and 40.

It was a psychological battle with myself Ronnie O'Sullivan

White took the opener and levelled at 2-2 at the mid-session interval after O'Sullivan went 2-1 up.

White edged ahead at 3-2 and 4-3 after an 80 break, but O'Sullivan finished the stronger to book his place in the best-of-19 frame final.

The 2001 world champion believes he is benefiting from a change of approach and attitude.

"I am reinventing myself and finding different ways of winning," O'Sullivan said.

"There is no point in being attacking and being careless at the same time and I was enjoying the struggle out there.

White ran out of steam

"It was a psychological battle I was having with myself. It was a chance for me to see how deep I could go and deal with things and be at one with myself."

White, who won the Masters in 1984, produced a superb display to beat Peter Ebdon in the quarter-finals after earlier defeating Stephen Hendry.

But he admitted his previous exertions had taken their toll against O'Sullivan.

"I just felt so tired throughout the whole day and I think it took a lot out of me last night," said White.

"I am sad because I didn't feel right at all and if I had been playing anywhere near the way I have, I might have won."