ROCKET RONNIE’S A RECORD BREAKER

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN brilliantly ripped up the snooker history books in York last night. A rampant Rocket made it a record 19 successes in snooker’s three major tournaments by being the first to win a seventh UK Championship title last night. O’Sullivan, 43, stormed to a 10-6 win over reigning Masters champion Mark Allen at the Barbican Centre to continue a blistering campaign. He has also won seven Masters crowns, as well as five successes on the biggest proving ground at the World Championship. World No3 O’Sullivan is at war with supremo Barry Hearn over formats and venues on tour – and last week even threatened he could stage breakaway ‘Champions League’ events. That triggered a furious response from Hearn, who branded his box office talisman ‘pathetic, ridiculous and selfish.’ But on the table O’Sullivan, who pocketed £170,000 last night, has won three of the five events he has played this season – and also reached a final and a semi-final. A limited schedule is working, and O’Sullivan has now edged ahead of boyhood idol Steve Davis on UK wins – and has 19 Triple Crown triumphs, one clear of long-time rival Stephen Hendry. O’Sullivan celebrated by tipping a glass of water over his head. He said: ‘History is fantastic. It’s amazing. It is great to beat the Nugget, Steve Davis’s, record of six UK titles, and to beat my hero Stephen Hendry’s record of 18 Triple Crown titles. ‘To be involved in a final against Mark, who is an unbelievable competitor...if he doesn’t win the worlds, I will be surprised. He has talent and bottle in abundance. ‘It’s great to create history and beat Stephen’s records. I still have eight world titles to get. ‘My strike average is better than other sportsmen. Roger Federer and Tiger Woods have four majors to go at. I only have three!’