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Sunday, 16 December 2007, 21:12 GMT

O'Sullivan romps to UK final win

Ronnie O'Sullivan Ronnie O'Sullivan wrapped up his fourth UK Championship victory, and first ranking title in nearly three years, by crushing Stephen Maguire 10-2.

"The Rocket" was in superb form in Telford and took all eight frames in a one-sided opening session.

Maguire, the 2004 champion, did at least avoid the ignominy of a whitewash on the resumption, rattling in breaks of 99 and 57 to win two frames.

But O'Sullivan responded with 126 and then a 94 to complete victory.

He collected a £100,000 winner's cheque to go with the £30,000 he claimed for his maximum break in the final frame of his semi-final win over Mark Selby.

It was O'Sullivan's 19th ranking title in all, and his first since the Irish Masters in March 2005.

"People have kept reminding me it's been a few years since I won one but I played well, scored well and enjoyed the match," said O'Sullivan, who returns to provisional number one in the world rankings.

"Ronnie came out of the blocks like a whippet"
Stephen Maguire

"I knew I had to be at my best to win but I never expected to win by that margin.

"I have said for a while that of all the young ones who have come on the scene, Stephen is the real deal. Everyone in snooker knows what a class act he is."

Maguire, who won the UK title in 2004, admitted he had no answer to O'Sullivan's opening blitz.

"I was a wee bit nervous at the start and Ronnie came out of the blocks like a whippet," he said. "Even at 3-0 and 4-0 I knew what it was going to be like.

"I'm just glad I got a couple of frames tonight. I had a good week but he was just far too good today."

606: DEBATE
"Ronnie's mindset is back in the right place, so that's got to be good for snooker"
chumbawumba2

The Scot was chasing a second successive ranking title after winning the Northern Ireland Trophy in Belfast last month.

"To win that tournament and then get to the final here obviously means I am doing something right," he added. "But there is clearly there is a bit more improvement left."

Maguire had been in fine form en route to the final but only potted two balls in the first two frames as O'Sullivan moved into gear with breaks of 54 and 66 in the opener.

He followed that up with a 78 and a 66, and the pattern continued after the mid-session interval as the two-time world champion rattled in breaks of 53 and 78 to go 6-0 up.

Maguire was short on confidence and left a red short of the pocket while using the rest in the seventh frame to let O'Sullivan in again with a 52, and lost the final frame of the session after missing an ambitious long pot.

He came out fighting when play resumed in the evening, rattling in 99, his first break over 50 in the match, to finally get on the scoreboard.

But O'Sullivan responded with the first century of the match, and after Maguire had grabbed another frame back with a run of 57, the favourite roared to victory with another fluent display of potting.




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Related to this story:

UK Championship final scores (15 Dec 07 |  Snooker )
O'Sullivan fires 147 to pip Selby (15 Dec 07 |  Snooker )
Superb Maguire claims final spot (14 Dec 07 |  Snooker )
Maguire beats O'Brien in NI final (11 Nov 07 |  Snooker )

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