- By Steve Sutcliffe
- BBC Sport at York Barbican
UK Snooker Championship: Ronnie O’Sullivan wins eighth title – 30 years after his first
| Venue: Barbican Centre, York Dates: Saturday, 25 November – Sunday, 3 December |
| BBC protection: Watch stay on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer, in addition to the BBC Sport web site and cellular app |
Ronnie O’Sullivan turned the oldest-ever UK champion with a 10-7 victory over Ding Junhui as he claimed a record-extending eighth title in York.
O’Sullivan’s triumph has come two days earlier than he turns 48 and three a long time on from being the youngest participant to win the UK Championship, aged 17.
The match was delicately poised at 4-4 heading into Sunday’s closing session.
But O’Sullivan pulled clear with 4 half-centuries and two centuries to safe the £250,000 high prize.
O’Sullivan’s outstanding longevity on the high of the sport means he eclipses Doug Mountjoy’s long-standing mark from 1988, when he received his second UK title, aged 46, in opposition to Stephen Hendry.
“Each tournament I win and play in, I take great pleasure from,” O’Sullivan instructed BBC Sport.
“I needed to come out and have a very good head. There was an enormous crowd and I wished to depart blood, sweat and tears on the desk. I got here out and gave it my all and I really like competing.
“I at all times maintain beating myself up due to the age factor. I maintain considering sooner or later it’s important to cease profitable however I’m doing all proper and I’ll carry on going till the wheels fall off.”
O’Sullivan’s newest landmark second continues his outstanding success in snooker’s prestigious Triple Crown occasions, along with his tally of trophies throughout the Masters, UK and World Championship’s now at 22, 4 away from Scotland’s Hendry.
The seven-time world champion, who holds virtually each different main report within the recreation, has been selective about his appearances on the world tour this time period, having received the non-ranking Shanghai Masters occasion in September.
However, his performances in opposition to Hossein Vafaei, Zhou Yuelong, Robert Milkins and Anthony McGill earlier within the event underlined his capacity to ship on the massive event.
In Sunday’s finale in opposition to Ding, he went from energy to energy so as to add a 40th rating title to his assortment, sealing the result with a elegant break of 129.
Ding shows combating spirit
It is the second successive yr that China’s Ding has misplaced within the closing by a three-frame margin, albeit this contest was markedly totally different to his painful defeat by Mark Allen 12 months in the past, when he let a 6-1 lead slip.
The three-time winner, who says he loves taking part in on the Yorkshire venue, delivered an excellent response to falling 3-0 down on Sunday afternoon with breaks of 89, a elegant 114 and 70 to attract stage.
Those combating qualities had been initially on present within the night, with Ding who needed to come by qualifying after slipping simply exterior of the world’s high 16 ranked gamers, punishing O’Sullivan’s miss on a blue to the top-left pocket to get again to 5-5 with a break of 56 after the Englishman took the primary body of the night with an 89.
A contribution of 52 and a high quality 104 break, his second century of the competition, allowed him to revive parity once more after O’Sullivan went 7-5 forward with runs of 87 and 79.
But in the long run he merely had no reply as O’Sullivan raced to the road with a 100, a 74 and the very best break of the ultimate.
“It’s been an excellent week ranging from the primary match,” stated Ding.
“I do know it was going to be very powerful in opposition to Ronnie. I like myself taking part in like this. It could be very cool.”
