Ronnie O'Sullivan with his seventh World Championship

Ronnie O'Sullivan wins seventh World Championship after beating Judd Trump 18-13 in Crucible final

By Sporting Life

Snooker

Tue May 03, 2022 · 3y ago

Ronnie O'Sullivan won his seventh World Championship with a dominant 18-13 victory over Judd Trump.

O'Sullivan had gone into Monday's final day of the Crucible marathon with a commanding lead and while Trump fought hard to narrow the gap to as little as three frames, that was as close as he could get to a player who will surely now be remembered as the greatest this sport has ever produced.

More than 20 years on from capturing his first world title in 2001, O'Sullivan matched Stephen Hendry's record of seven and became the oldest man to win this famous trophy at 46 years of age, a victory made that bit sweeter for Sporting Life readers advised to back him at 6/1 before the tournament.

Ronnie O'Sullivan 18-13 Judd Trump

Session 1:
0-98 (72), 120-0 (120), 78-1 (68), 73-66 (JT 52)
62-13, 105-4 (105), 0-98 (97), 50-79
Session 2:
36-100 (73), 117-7 (66, 50), 122-9 (118)
107-15 (97), 77-0, 94-26 (87), 4-80 (80)
79-0 (60), 88-33 (88)
Session 3:
22-115 (107), 25-90 (59), 0-81. 71-45 (64)
20-66, 51-60, 68-1 (55), 0-126 (105)
Session 4:
82-12 (82), 88-12 (88), 27-72 (64), 91-1 (75)
0-151 (109), 93-0 (85)

He did it in style, too, producing some of the best snooker of his career throughout the fortnight and never looking in danger from the moment he got going against David Gilbert in round one, having lost the first three frames of that match.

From there O'Sullivan was majestic, thrashing Mark Allen and Stephen Maguire before bossing fellow world champions John Higgins and Judd Trump, themselves among the most talented to have picked up a cue.

But none surely comes close to O'Sullivan, who signed off with a break of 85 before a warm embrace with Trump, who showed grit and determination but was outclassed by the greatest snooker player there has ever been, and surely ever will be.

O'Sullivan heaps praise on runner-up

O'Sullivan was visibly emotional immediately after his winning break ended, despite a stoic demeanour during the tournament.

Asked why it means so much, he told the BBC: "As far as I'm concerned (Trump) is already an all-time great, the way he plays the game. To put up with that pressure for two days, even when he's not playing well, you're having to me on your guard at all times.

"That's probably the greatest result I've ever had, against someone like Judd.

"I've never bothered about records, I've never performed well if I'm going for stuff like that. I just try to enjoy the game, compete, try and enjoy what I do, and work hard at my game.

"Then you let the snooker gods decide what they're going to decide, and these 17 days they were on my side. With Judd, we all knew he wasn't playing his best. That's what a champion does, they don't play their best, they get to the final, and they still nearly win it. He's going to be winning this a few times and the other guys better get their act together."

As how he felt sharing the record with Hendry, O'Sullivan said: "We can share it for a year!"

O'Sullivan went on to explain to Eurosport why he was so emotional as he and Trump shared a prolonged hug.

"I was just sobbing in his arms, and he said such lovely words. What he said to me just blew me away. I love Judd, he's a great lad, and I didn't realise what he thought of me until then."

Trump gracious in defeat

"I think he was the best player throughout the whole tournament by far," said Trump, who joked that he carried no hope into the final session.

"I just want to say massive congratulations to Ronnie, it's been a pleasure to share a table with him. He's always been so good to me throughout my career. Amazing achievement and he'll go down as the best player of all time.

"Yesterday I was quite drained, and then today it came back a bit, but it was a bit too late. It was a joy for me to be out there playing. I tried to play with a smile on my face.

"I think I was wrong when I said it should move from here. It should definitely stay at the Crucible."

Hendry, commentating for the BBC, said: "He's taken snooker to new heights, I'm actually surprised it's taken him so long, that's how good he is.

"When I got six, to equal Steve (Davis), I had to get seven. I presume it's the same for Ronnie, he'll have to get eight, and he won't be happy until he's done that. He'll want to get eight.

"It's been an astounding performance. He's just been wonderful."

Davis added: "He's a true genius of the game. I think he's got an eighth world title in him."

Trump forces final session but Ronnie reigns supreme

A ruthless first day performance by O’Sullivan, who punished a series of misses by Trump to win a streak of seven frames out of nine, raised the prospect of becoming only the fourth player to beat his final opponent with a session to spare.

Trump had other ideas, and gradually ensured that attention turned to whether the 32-year-old could mount what would have been the biggest final comeback since Dennis Taylor’s recovery from eight frames down to sink Steve Davis in 1985.

Trump won the first three frames of the final day and although a sluggish O’Sullivan stopped the rot, he still looked far from comfortable, producing the pivotal error in the next frame when he fired a red well wide as Trump loomed ever closer at 13-9.

A nerve-jangling clearance from Trump, in response to O’Sullivan leaving a black dangling over the top pocket, made it 13-10, and the pair shared the last two frames of an engrossing afternoon to leave Trump with a glimmer of hope having cut the overnight lead by more than half.

But in front of a packed and suitably raucous Crucible crowd, O’Sullivan immediately eased the pressure by taking the first two frames in the evening with breaks of 82 and 88, each time building on errors by Trump who not unreasonably determined that his hopes of completing a fantasy fightback lay in going for broke.

Trump would win two of the next three, and ensured another bit of history by delivering a record-breaking 109th century of the tournament – fittingly, with a clearance of 109 – to close the gap to 17-13 before O’Sullivan got over the line.

CLICK HERE for Ronnie's records and confirmation of GOAT status

Session three

Trump had fallen 12-5 behind after a brutal Sunday but returned to the Crucible a changed man, combining aggression with precision and the odd stroke of fortune to ensure than O'Sullivan's quest for a seventh world title would not be straightforward.

O'Sullivan in the end did well to take the chances which did fall his way and avoid disaster, but with the gap reduced from seven frames to just three what appeared a formality now appears anything but with one more session of this marathon fortnight to go.

Trump came out firing with a 107 break which began with a delicate black, and come the end of the second frame he was in show-off mode as a thunderous pink to middle put the seal on a 59 break to reduce the gap to five.

O'Sullivan couldn't score in frame three as Trump got closer still, but O'Sullivan responded with a precise, frame-winning 64 after Trump had missed a plant to the right middle in frame four of the afternoon. O'Sullivan still had work to do when arriving at the table but a cut red to a blind pocket left him perfectly on the green, and stopped the bleeding heading into the interval.

O'Sullivan missed his chance upon the resumption when missing a cut-back red and Trump went on to take it after a brilliant long pot despite hampered cueing, and when The Rocket rattled the jaws with a tough red in the next, Trump was back within three frames at 13-10.

Fortune turned in O'Sullivan's favour in the next as he almost went in-off when potting frame ball, instead clipping the middle jaw and gaining reward for a composed 55 break built with the black tied up, a string of blues and mid-range reds extending his lead to four frames once more.

Trump though benefited from a big fluke in the final frame of the afternoon and capitalised fully, his second century of the session very much making it job done and piling pressure onto the shoulders of O'Sullivan.

Session Two

Ronnie O'Sullivan took a significant step towards a record-equalling seventh world title when dominating the second session of his World Championship final with Judd Trump at the Crucible.

After making an explosive start to the opening session, O'Sullivan was pegged back by Trump who won the final two frames of the afternoon to only trail 5-3, having looked in big trouble when falling 5-1 behind.

For the first time in the tournament, the six-time world champion appeared to lose his focus and he had to be warned by referee Olivier Marteel after the pair exchanged words at the end of the afternoon.

O'Sullivan still didn't look entirely happy when the players returned for the evening session, and Trump threatened to continue his comeback when kicking off the night with a run of 73, only for things to quickly unravel thereafter.

O'Sullivan regained his composure by dominating the 10th frame thanks to breaks of 66 and 50, and when he followed up with clearances of 118 and 97 – both breaks following missed blacks from Trump – the Rocket was back in full working order.

Ronnie O'Sullivan found himself in hot water again

By now Trump's usually strong long game was falling apart, along with even more worrying misses from close range, and two more unforced errors opened the door for O'Sullivan to stretch his lead to 9-4.

The one-way traffic continued as O'Sullivan cleared the table with 87 in frame 14 to move another frame closer to the winning line, though Trump finally offered a riposte when hitting back with a break of 80 to reduce his deficit to 10-5.

Trump then potted a brilliant long red early in the next frame, only to watch in horror as the cue ball careered into another red before disappearing into the corner pocket.

After dropping his head in anguish, Trump stumbled back to his chair as O'Sullivan marched to the table, surveying his options and then compiling a ruthless hand of 60 that was enough to chalk up another frame.

O'Sullivan was now feasting on his prey, and clearly determined not to hand Trump a lifeline in the final frame of the evening, he rounded off a superb night's work with another silky, frame-winning contribution, this time a break of 88 that ensures he will return on Monday leading 12-5 and with a seventh Crucible crown very much his to lose from here.

Session One

Ronnie O'Sullivan made a strong start to the World Championship final, racing into a 5-3 lead over Judd Trump at the Crucible.

O'Sullivan knocked in two centuries in a breathtaking beginning that left Trump and a packed Crucible crowd stunned, before the 2019 champion produced a fine response to win the final two frames of the afternoon to end the session only 5-3 behind.

O'Sullivan had appeared set for a big lead when moving 4-1 ahead, winning the third frame on a re-spotted black having at one stage needed a snooker, but Trump steadily warmed to the task and might well be the happier of the two players ahead of tonight's resumption.

Trump actually started the brighter, opening with a break of 72 before O'Sullivan burst into life with runs of 120 and 68 to maintain the excellent form he had displayed when easing past John Higgins in the last four.

Trump then looked certain to draw level by claiming the fourth frame, but when he missed a red along the rail and then a mid-range yellow moments later, O'Sullivan snared him with a devilish snooker behind the brown that paved the way for him to force a re-spotted black.

O'Sullivan fluked the black in the middle pocket when attempting to send the ball around the table and to safety, sending the Crucible into raptures but leaving Trump visibly rocked and grateful for the mid-session interval.

Still, it was more of the same from O'Sullivan when play resumed, the six-time world champion notching his second century of the session in frame five to extend his advantage to four frames.

Trump's response was typically brazen as he hit back with a fabulous 97 and then took the final frame of the session after O'Sullivan failed to gain position on the yellow.

A few words between O'Sullivan and referee Olivier Marteel were then exchanged as the temperature at the Crucible went up a level, though Trump kept his cool to polish off the colours and ensure an early crisis had been averted.

Click on the image to watch both arguments with O'Sullivan and the referee