Ronnie O'Sullivan after winning UK Championship: 'I played snooker like Seve Ballesteros played golf'
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Published 03/12/2023 at 23:47 GMT
Ronnie O'Sullivan is the UK Championship winner for the eighth time in his career following a 10-7 win over Ding Junhui - but The Rocket, ever the perfectionist, was not enthralled with how he played. "I felt I played snooker like Seve Ballesteros played golf. I’m in and out of trees, all over the gaff," he said. Victory made The Rocket the youngest and oldest winner of the competition.
O'Sullivan emotional as he clinches UK Championship glory with stunning clearance
Ronnie O'Sullivan compared his performance in the UK Championship final victory over Ding Junhui to how Seve Ballesteros played golf - "in out of the trees, all over the gaff".
The Rocket wrote another piece of history on Sunday when he completed a 10-7 win over Ding at the Barbican Centre in York, becoming both the youngest and oldest player to win the prestigious tournament.
His record-extending eighth title comes just two days before his 48th birthday and 30 years after his first triumph as a 17-year-old.
But ever the perfectionist, O'Sullivan wasn't thrilled with how he played on the night.
Reflecting on his display in the Eurosport studio, O'Sullivan said: "It wasn’t great but it was alright. I stuck in there, focused, used my head tonight. I thought I had to at least make Ding earn it if he’s going to beat me.
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"I felt a bit of sabotage coming in this afternoon, just got a bit frustrated. But it’s been like that all week really.
"I felt I played snooker like Seve Ballesteros played golf; I’m in and out of trees, all over the gaff. It catches up with you after a while, it’s quite draining."
Ballesteros, a five-time major winner, was one of golf's most popular players during his pomp in the 1970s and 80s and delighted fans with his swashbuckling style.
There were periods in the match where O'Sullivan showed signs of frustration, most notably in the 11th frame with the scores locked at 5-5 when he dropped the rest on the table after missing a shot, but the eight-time world champion managed to regain his composure.
"It’s easy to get down on yourself and get frustrated. But I have to try and think of the positives when I’m out there and just try to think that at some point it could turn around, and keep trying hard," he said.
"It's hard for me not to sabotage because I get frustrated if I'm not flying, but I just hung in there and kept playing, one shot, one frame at a time, just hoping something might happen. I had little spells where it did and it was worth the patience."
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'What a time to make it' - O'Sullivan compiles sparkling century in final
And boy did something happen. With the match finely poised at 7-7, O'Sullivan produced a stunning seven-minute century before taking the next three frames to seal victory.
"That’s what I do. I just try to keep people honest and then, like I did in Shanghai, have a little spell in the match where I thought, 'let’s just take the shackles off here and try to find something'," he continued.
"Sometimes you have to dig deep just to stay in the game and then hope you find a little something."
He added: "I never worry about what's going on in the present, as long as I have the right mindset towards the game and the sport, it will happen at some point. It's not like a flick of the switch; you have to be patient, put the graft in and all of a sudden it happens for you."
Comparing his game and mindset now to when he stunned the great Stephen Hendry as a teenager to take his first UK Championship in 1997, O'Sullivan said: "I just feel more experienced and I don't panic at all. I haven't anything to prove, so if I lose it's no big deal. It's still nice to win but I'm just enjoying it.
"I feel a different player now than I ever did years ago; I'm a bit more rounded."
Victory consolidates O'Sullivan's place as the world No. 1 but The Rocket laughed off the status, insisting ranking points do not bother him.
"I've never been bothered about making tournaments, never gone for the bonuses. I've always had my own schedule, I like the exhibitions I do. I play when I want to play, don't play when I feel like I want to rest," he said.
"Everyone seems to be chasing ranking points apart from me. I just want to play. I don't chase rankings, money, trophies, stuff like that.
"It's wrong that I'm No. 1 and I'm not really that bothered and everyone's chasing me. Terrible, really. I'm nicking all their glory!"
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