UK Championship 2023 snooker: What records can Ronnie O'Sullivan set in final? – 'I feel as fresh as a daisy'

Updated 04/12/2023 at 06:08 GMT

Snooker GOAT Ronnie O'Sullivan is on course to become the youngest and oldest winner of the UK Championship if he can overcome Ding Junhui in the 47th final of the showpiece tournament at the York Barbican on Sunday. O'Sullivan is chasing a record-extending eighth title success at the ranking event on the 30th anniversary of his landmark first victory, while Ding is bidding for a fourth triumph.

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Ronnie O'Sullivan is on course to set several new records when he contests the 47th UK Championship final against Ding Junhui at the York Barbican on Sunday.

O'Sullivan celebrates his 48th birthday on Tuesday, but at the age of 47 would simultaneously become the oldest and youngest winner of the coveted tournament if he claims the £250,000 first prize and a record-extending eighth UK title triumph.

Welsh icon Doug Mountjoy has held the record for 35 years since his celebrated success at the age of 46 in 1988 when he overcame Stephen Hendry 16-12 at the Preston Guild Hall.

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World No. 1 O'Sullivan is also chasing a ground-breaking 40th ranking title success after becoming the youngest winner of the UK title when he triumphed at the age of 17 with a landmark 10-6 win against Hendry in Preston in 1993.

“I’m just hanging around, so people don’t get as good as a career as me,” O’Sullivan told reporters after his 6-2 win over Hossein Vafaei in the semi-finals.

“If I could stop [Mark] Selby winning a few and Judd [Trump] winning a few, and Ding and [Neil] Robertson winning a few – just ruin their careers a little bit – that would be great.

"Sometimes that’s just a nice motivation to play.”

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O'Sullivan is not the oldest man to contest a UK final with six-time winner Steve Davis holding that honour after reaching the 2005 showpiece occasion at the age of 48 when he lost 10-6 to the then 18-year-old Ding in the final.

But the seven-time world champion could set a new record by extending the longest winning period between ranking title victories to 30 years on the 30th anniversary of his famous maiden UK success as the youngest ranking event winner of the modern era.

The record between title victories stands at 29 years after his 18-13 win over Trump in the 2022 World Championship final.

Mark Williams equalled that remarkable snooker time frame when he became the second oldest winner of a ranking event in lifting the British Open title aged 48 and 194 days with a 10-7 win over Selby in October.

Six-time world champion Ray Reardon remains the oldest ranking event champion of all time at the age of 50 years and 14 days.

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“I feel as fresh as a daisy,” said O'Sullivan, who has also claimed the UK title in 1997, 2001, 2007, 2014, 2017 and 2018. “These tournaments are not a problem.

"I can do it quite comfortably. I’m still happy to have got this far, it’s great and I have enjoyed my week."

"Playing well under pressure is important, but I'm just motivated by cash," he quipped.

Ding relishing chance to face O'Sullivan in UK Championship final

Ding booked his spot in the final for a second successive year with a 6-4 win over tournament favourite and 2011 UK champion Judd Trump on Saturday evening.

The former Masters champion lost 10-7 to Mark Allen in 2022 having led 6-1, but will again chase a fourth victory having also lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2019.

Ding whitewashed O'Sullivan 6-0 in last year's quarter-finals, but the Rocket enjoyed a 10-3 win in their last major final meeting at the 2018 World Grand Prix.

“It is great to play Ronnie in the final. We haven’t had that many chances to face each other," said Ding, who trails O'Sullivan 18-6 on the career head-to-heads.

"The Chinese fans especially love to see it. I love to play against Ronnie. I want to play well and maybe win the match.

"This is what I dream of, he was my hero when I was a little boy.”