Ronnie O'Sullivan paid tribute to beaten opponent Ding Junhui despite the Rocket's emphatic victory in the SAGA Insurance Masters final.
The Chigwell champ collected his third Wembley title with a magnificent display of break-building to beat his Chinese opponent 10-3.
"I?m so happy that snooker has found a prodigy," said O'Sullivan of the player who had beaten him in the Northern Ireland Trophy final at the start of the season.
"I looked the word up in the dictionary the other day. It said someone of great talent and magic ability ? I thought Ding.
"If he carries on improving and gets a few more bits to his game he will be a multiple World Champion."
O'Sullivan spoke modestly about his performance which brought four century breaks and six more over 50.
"The balls were going in the holes but I wasn?t in full control," he said. "I was having to hit the ball a little bit harder and wasn?t able to create the angles to make this game feel as easy as I possibly can.
"I?m not knocking the way I played, the breaks speak for themselves, but I felt I had to try and really put effort into that.
"If I had been playing someone more methodical, a little bit slower I couldn't have made a 12 today. Ding played a part in helping me to play well.
"When we played in Northern Ireland it was the same, he beat me there because we both play a similar sort of game.
"I?ve seen Stephen Hendry at this peak, I don?t think he?s as good as Stephen yet because he was the greatest player I have ever seen or played.
"John Higgins has put in performances, fantastic performances against me but that kid is up there. Tennis has Federer, golf has Tiger Woods, Ding could do the same to snooker."
As for Ding's offer of a handshake when it got to 9-3, O'Sullivan added: "He thought it was the best of 17, I can?t argue with that because I?ve been in a state like that before when John Higgins beat me 8-0 in a session at the world?s.
"I didn?t know if the game was over, what day it was, he just hit me with a barrage of breaks. Your mind just goes and you think it?s game over.
"I said to Ding 'come we?ve got one more frame to play, let?s go and have a cup of tea do what we?ve got to do. It?s not the first time it?s not the last.'"
Ding, disappointed by his display, said: "I played well to start with but not after that. Ronnie played very well."
