RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has become the OLDEST Masters champion – 29 years after becoming the YOUNGEST.
But his elbow hurt so much that he couldn’t even lift the cup!
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Ronnie O’Sullivan won his eighth Masters title with victory over Ali CarterCredit: Getty
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O’Sullivan’s elbow was too sore to lift the trophy… so his children picked it up for himCredit: Getty
However, following his 10-7 victory over Ali Carter, the £1 million Ronnie Slam is still in the tournament this season as he chases perfection in snooker’s Triple Crowns.
Despite not being anywhere near his fluid best, as he battled the effects of jetlag, the world No. 1 killed hopes of Carter’s breakthrough at Ally Pally.
Stuart Bingham was the oldest winner at 43 in 2020, but has been overtaken in the record books by the ageless O’Sullivan, who is 48 years and 40 days old.
It was his 23rd win in the sport’s three majors and underscored his remarkable longevity, having won the first of eight Masters at the age of 19 in 1995.
Essex’s Cueman can cash a check for £250,000 – the same figure he earned for the UK Championship in December – and there will be £500,000 on the line at the Crucible.
However, O’Sullivan, who wears tennis shoes due to sore feet, was unable to lift the heavy trophy due to a sore elbow… so his children lifted the title for him.
Of the 50 Masters finals in history, O’Sullivan has been in 14 of them, but while he would love this 16-man tournament, he doesn’t really like the location.
In his mind, Ally Pally is one of his least favorite destinations on the World Snooker Tour circuit – a stark contrast to the luxurious surroundings he experiences on trips to China or Macau.
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During the rally, he lashed out at the conditions the players had to endure backstage, claiming it was cold, wet and dirty, and that there were even trash cans in the parking lot.
Such is his disdain for the 149-year-old venue, which has hosted the Masters since 2012, that he refused to practice there before the afternoon session, opting to arrive just before 1pm.
Once on the table, O’Sullivan decided to try kamikaze snooker, leading with outrageous shots and not playing for percentages.
One cheeky attempt with two double red crosses failed and left him open to attack.
Watching from the TV studio, Shaun Murphy suggested the maneuver was “a bit of a mickey-take” while Stephen Hendry felt the GOAT was trying to “bully” Carter.
To his credit, Carter was unfazed by his opponent, something he took from regular tutorials from mind guru Chris Henry, and took the afternoon session to a 5-3 lead.
With breaks of 106, 122 and 74, he took advantage of O’Sullivan’s wild shots.
He continued the exceptional form that saw him dethrone Mark Williams, Judd Trump and Mark Allen in a flurry of centuries.
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Rocket trailed 6-3 before coming back to win 10-7 Credit: Getty
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He is now the youngest and oldest player to win the MastersCredit: AFP
In the three-hour period between sessions, O’Sullivan checked into a nearby hotel, cooled down and left the stick leaning against the wall.
His mom, daughter, son and lawyer were present in the crowd of 2,100 people, which created its own pressures because rarely do they all come to events unless they are significant.
The question on everyone’s mind was whether Carter – who had lost 17 of his 18 previous meetings with O’Sullivan – could sustain himself under pressure and win a first Triple Crown.
The signs were good in the opening frame of the evening session which Carter took advantage of to take a three frame lead at 6-3.
However, O’Sullivan does what he does best to win three frames on the spin in 37 minutes to move to 6-6 apiece – all in the blink of an eye.
Carter responded to that threat with a brilliant 127 – his NINTH century in four matches.
No one, not even O’Sullivan, Steve Davis or Stephen Hendry, has hit more tons in half a century of this tournament than the Colchester cueist.
Referee Ben Williams did his best to calm down some of the rowdy fans who made themselves heard at inopportune moments during the 14th frame.
Carter, 44, hasn’t done much wrong, but when O’Sullivan is in this mood, he is seemingly unstoppable.
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O’Sullivan and his family were delighted to winCredit: Getty
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The rocket was caught off guard by the confettiCredit: Getty
After leading 8-7, O’Sullivan won the next two frames to further cement his position as the greatest ever.
O’Sullivan, who was celebrating with his family, said: “I don’t know how I won this tournament.
“I just dug deep, tried to play with freedom. I wanted to keep Ali honest. If he wants to win it, he’ll have to get me off the table.
“I wasn’t worried about the result. I thought not to worry about the frames or the score, just keep playing and see what happens.
“But he didn’t play great tonight, he played better in the afternoon. He let me off the hook. It gave me room to breathe.
“I’ve had an amazing career, I love playing and competing. The crowd has always been good to me over the years.
“That’s the only thing I take from my career, the support I’ve had. To all snooker fans, thank you for your support over the years. I’ll keep trying until I can’t throw any more balls.
“I was never guided by titles or numbers. I wanted to play well and compete.
“To pick up trophies is a bonus. It’s not my drive. I have tried to master this game, I have yet to do so, but I will keep trying.
“Listen, I always have a good idea about the World Cup in February or March if my game is in good enough shape.
“It’s not good enough to win it at this point. I would like to go there with confidence, it will be longer sessions.”
Carter added: “It’s starting to annoy me. It was a good week. I’m devastated that I lost the final. It’s all about winning. I would run to the final.
“A lot of good things are coming from me. I’m going in the right direction. Ronnie played very well at the end.
“When you play Ronnie, you play the audience too, you have to accept that. I did my best, but it wasn’t enough.”
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education