In the final of the UK Championship, Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Ding Junhui 10-7.
At the age of 17, he defeated Stephen Hendry to win his first ranking title in 1993.
O’Sullivan won his record-extending eighth UK Championship.
Ronnie O’Sullivan became the oldest winner of the UK Championship on Sunday night, thirty years after he was crowned the youngest winner.
In this tournament in 1993, the remarkable Rocket stunned Stephen Hendry to win his first ranking title at the age of 17. But, two days before his 48th birthday, O’Sullivan defeated Ding Junhui 10-7 to become the Grand Old Duke of York, surpassing Doug Mountjoy, who won in 1988 at the age of 46.
This was O’Sullivan’s eighth UK Championship title, as well as his 22nd Triple Crown victory and 40th ranking title – albeit his first since winning his seventh World Championship at the Crucible 19 months ago.
Having said he was ‘just motivated by cash’ after his semi-final win over Hossein Vafaei, this victory saw him pocket a healthy cheque for £250,000. And O’Sullivan’s age-defying exploits in York also means he will remain as world No1 ahead of snooker’s next Triple Crown event,the masters next month.
‘It’s bonkers to still be playing and winning tournaments at nearly 48,’ admitted O’Sullivan, who won the final three frames against Ding and sealed victory with a break of 129.
‘It’s great to win, but it’s not the same excitement as years ago when I was winning my first titles and you’re buzzing. I get more of a buzz now going for a run or having porridge for breakfast with my mate.’
O’Sullivan has been selective in the tournaments he has entered of late. This was only his second appearance on these shores this season. Yet it felt almost inevitable that he would triumph at the Barbican, such is the way he had dominated the build-up following the release of his Amazon Prime documentary, The Edge of Everything.
That film heavily features his famous first UK title at the Preston Guild Hall in 1993. It came just a year after his father was jailed for life for murder – and he even visited Ronnie Snr in Gartree prison with his trophy.
‘If you had told me 30 years ago I’d still be playing, I’d have said you were off your nut,’ added O’Sullivan. ‘But I feel like I have got better. I feel like I am more of a complete player than I have ever been.
‘I always keep beating myself up with the age thing and think at some point it has got to stop. But I keep going all right so I will keep going until the wheels fall off.’
O’Sullivan claimed last week he could play on for another 10 years and nights like these, in front of a full house of 1,247 fans, will only fuel him.
He had actually pulled out of the tournament before this one, the Champion of Champions, because he felt ‘drained and stressed’. But on his return to action in York, he has looked refreshed, even if he has not always been at his best, having twice been taken to final-frame deciders.
In Sunday’s final, O’Sullivan raced into an early 3-0 lead with breaks of 71, 71 and 91. But three-time UK champion Ding, who whitewashed O’Sullivan 6-0 here last year, recovered by winning four of the next five frames to end the afternoon session all square at 4-4.
O’Sullivan went 7-5 up after sharing the first two frames of the night with 87 and 79 breaks. Ding, however, was unfazed and drew level with his second century of the match.
At 7-7, O’Sullivan hit his first ton of the final to take the lead. Then a 74 put him up one frame before his highest break of the match, a 129, secured his first UK title since 2018.
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