RONNIE O’SULLIVAN showed Judd Trump why he is snooker’s world No.1 by collecting a second piece of silverware over successive weekends.
A 41st career ranking crown was handed to the Rocket, 48, as he stunned the Juddernaut 10-7 in a tight and nervy World Grand Prix final.
Following on from his Masters victory at Ally Pally the previous Sunday – which also saw an incredible, X-rated press conference meltdown – this was a more low-key success in Leicester.
The seven-time world champion, who was 4-0 down and then 6-3 behind, extended his tournament wins to 14 in a row – his last loss in professional combat came on November 11.
Three consecutive title successes have seen him bank £600,000 in prize money and yet for some reason, he still thinks he is not playing very well.
This was not the classic nor the epic that we had all hoped for between the top players in the world.
Neither star were at their fluent best on table conditions described as “dodgy” by the legendary Stephen Hendry.
It was a far cry from what we had all seen on Saturday as pundits and punters went to bed drooling by how O’Sullivan demolished Ding Junhui 6-1 in the semi-finals with three century breaks.
Alan McManus, a former Masters champion, who turned 53 on Sunday, was left in awe with what he had witnessed.
The Scotsman described that 73-minute masterclass as “the best performance in the history of the game in a single match”.
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Quite the statement but the crowd knew they had watched brilliance and gave him a standing ovation.
Yet the afternoon session on Sunday did not contain any exhilarating fireworks or scintillating snooker.
In fact, it was one of the worst sessions we have seen between these two in their long and decorated history.
Unpredictably and unusually, it was error-ridden with multiple in-offs, fouls-and-misses, sloppy shots and for O’Sullivan, two dodgy kicks on the cue-ball.
The highest break from either person was the opening 74 by Trump, who raced into a 4-0 frames lead and was looking comfortable for that advantage.
But where we had seen inspiration from O’Sullivan the night before, this time there was perspiration.
Winning three frames in the afternoon session meant he went into the evening action just 5-3 behind and with a chance of staging a comeback.
Even when he fell 6-3 down, he did not lose hope and like he did in the Masters final with Ali Carter, he fought back impressively.
Trump, 34, had a chance to draw level at 7-7 but despite doing all the hard work in frame 14, he missed the final black and O’Sullivan tapped it in to move 8-6 in front.
World No 2 Trump stopped the rot with a 73 in frame 16 but then a generous fluke on the red enabled O’Sullivan to take a stranglehold of frame 17 to claim yet another title this campaign.
A fourth tournament in seven entered this year — what an exceptional player he is.
