Ronnie O'Sullivan has cemented his status as a living legend of snooker. The 48-year-old Englishman defeated Ali Carter in the Masters final after a comeback (10-7). His eighth Masters win is a record, and O'Sullivan is now also the youngest and oldest Masters winner.
After the first session, Ronnie O'Sullivan found himself 3-5 down. “The Rocket” won the first frame of the match and later took 125 and 86, but Carter fared better with breaks of 106, 122 and 74.
'The Captain' also won the first frame of the evening session after which O'Sullivan appeared to be wearing tight shoes. But with his back against the wall, the Englishman found a way to win the final. It soon tied 6-6.
Carter took the lead with a century on 127, but it also meant his final milestone. O'Sullivan won four frames in a row for the win.
“I don't actually know how I won that tournament,” O'Sullivan was surprised after the final. “I had to go deeper and try to play a little more fluidly. Right now I don't have confidence in my performance and I have to do my best to win.”
O'Sullivan has previously won the tournament with the world's top sixteen teams in 1995, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Just as in the UK Championship, which he won for the eighth time in December, the seven-time world champion is both the youngest and oldest winner in the tournament's history.
The win earned O'Sullivan £250,000 (€290,500). Carter received a check for 100,000 pounds sterling (116,000 euros). This has no consequences for the Order of Merit. The Masters is not a ranking tournament.
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