ROCKET ROARS PAST ALLEN TO CLINCH CROWN
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 Betway UK Championship title. O’Sullivan, 43, stormed to a 10-6 win over reigning Masters champion Mark Allen at the Barbican Centre to continue a blistering campaign. The world No 3 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, watched by artist pal Damien Hirst yesterday, values style as well as trophies. His tennis hero Roger Federer has won 20 slams, while the Rocket’s golf idol Tiger Woods is back on 14 majors. However five-time world champion O’Sullivan is also now fast closing in on the world No 1 spot — a position he last occupied eight years ago. Allen, 32, could take consolation from his £75,000 runners-up prize, equalling his career-high ranking of No 6, and a superb 2018 that saw him also win the International Championship in China. But it was a second loss in the UK final having gone down to Judd Trump back in 2011. Allen needed a good start — and got one, taking the first frame. But O’Sullivan hit straight back with a break of 101, the 986th century of his illustrious career. The pair shared the next two, Allen with a 74 and the Rocket with an 85 — but then the world No 7 let his opponent, such a renowned front-runner, begin to forge clear. O’Sullivan claimed the next three, helped by runs of 54, 66 and 57 to lead 5-2. The Northern Irishman looked in desperate need of the last of the afternoon, but an unlucky split on the pack left him on nothing. O’Sullivan pounced to move four clear. After falling 7-2 down Allen trimmed the deficit with breaks of 56 and 105, but O’Sullivan cleared up from 59-6 down in frame 13 and after Allen hit back to make it 9-6, O’Sullivan closed out the contest with a 78 break. The draw for January’s Dafabet Masters was made in York last night. Seven-time Masters champion O’Sullivan will play former world champion Stuart Bingham in the first round. Defending champion Allen meets out-of-form Belgian Luca Brecel, world champion Mark Williams faces Australian Neil Robertson, while world No 1 Mark Selby plays Stephen Maguire. Four-time world champion John Higgins, plays Ryan Day while Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson will meet at Alexandra Palace.