Ronnie O’Sullivan equalled two of snooker’s great records as he landed his sixth UK Championship title in stunning fashion. The 42-year-old crushed the 2008 champion Shaun Murphy’s hopes of a second success at the tournament, pulling away to clinch a 10-5 victory at the York Barbican.
O’Sullivan racked up breaks of 75, 104, 76, 103, 86 and 59 in a session where he produced a performance of the highest quality, swiftly and majestically tying up victory and taking home the top prize of £170,000.
In triumphing for a sixth time, he also matched Steve Davis’s record for the most triumphs at this event and hauled himself level with Stephen Hendry’s all-time record haul of 18 titles at the triple crown majors – the UK Championship, World Championship and Masters. There is little doubt that a man who first landed the UK title as a 17-year-old in 1993 could claim both records outright. “The records are great,” said O’Sullivan. “To equal it … I tried my best all week and there’s nothing left. I’m over the moon to win any tournament, let alone the UK Championship. I just love playing and love competing and I can’t believe I’m still playing at 42, with all these grey hairs.”
Murphy praised O’Sullivan for taking his sixth UK title, saying: “It’s an absolute phenomenal achievement.”
Murphy had high hopes heading into the evening after pulling back from 4-2 to 4-4 by the end of the afternoon session, and having beaten O’Sullivan over the best-of-19 in the recent Champion of Champions tournament. But despite making an 80 to level at 5-5, he was reduced to the role of spectator for agonisingly long stretches. Murphy missed the seventh black in a 147 maximum-break attempt in the 14th frame, and O’Sullivan made his 86, each ball dropping into the pocket a dagger to the heart of his opponent. “It’s not the end I wanted to the fortnight I’ve had,” Murphy said.
There was no stopping O’Sullivan, who finished the match with a break of 49 before Murphy stepped forward to offer warm congratulations.
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