Snooker results: Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Luca Brecel to win the Shanghai Masters for the fourth time in a row

It's the first time the event has been staged since 2019 due to a pandemic-inforced break but the world number one picked up where he left off with triumphs over John Higgins and Mark Selby earlier in the week before beating the world champion.

Victory sees him gain a measure of revenge for his defeat to Brecel in the Crucible quarter-finals while he pockets an eye-watering winners' cheque of £210,000.

Brecel produced the three highest breaks of the first 10 frames with fine runs of 134, 103 and 98 but still found himself 6-4 behind as O'Sullivan started to find his rhythm by winning the eighth, ninth and 10th.

Nevertheless, it still took another six frames before the Rocket compiled his first century of the match thanks to a breathtaking clearance of 143 and he swiftly followed this up with a run of 120 to move 10-7 up.

Brecel launched a mini fightback after O'Sullivan missed a relatively simple final pink in frame 18 but he was unable to force a decider.

More to follow...