O’Sullivan one step away from seventh heaven
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN is bidding for a record seventh UK title in the final in York today.
In a sequence going back to 2014, O’Sullivan has lost just one match the last four times he has entered the event — the 2016 final to world No1 Mark Selby.
He maintained his record yesterday by blasting past Tom Ford 6-1 in their semifinal.
The 43-year-old has won 33 ranking titles, and is closing on Stephen Hendry’s career record of 36.
Victory today against Mark Allen — a 6-5 winner over Stuart Bingham last night — would take ‘The Rocket’ to a record 19 tournament wins in snooker’s ‘Triple Crown’ events — the World and UK Championships, and the Masters.
O’Sullivan said: ‘I want to go out there and be involved in a good match. What is more important is that it is a good final for snooker and the fans that follow the sport.
‘At some point, you have to ask what it is all about. Sometimes you wake up and think there are a lot of people out there who get a lot of pleasure (from seeing him win). I want to be able to repay that by playing with a smile on my face.
‘I have amazing support here, like I have done all my career, and it is still great to be playing decent snooker and to be performing for them.
‘I feel them willing me on and they know I appreciate them and have a big heart for the snooker fans.’
Ford, who reached his first major semi-final, added: ‘If someone told me I would have been in the UK semis, I would have taken it all day.’