Ronnie O’Sullivan won his seventh World Championship championship, equaling Stephen Hendry’s record in the modern era, with an 18-13 victory over Judd Trump.
O’Sullivan, 46, becomes the Crucible’s oldest world champion, surpassing Ray Reardon, who won his sixth title at the age of 45 in 1978.
To get back to 14-11, Trump won six of the eight frames on Monday afternoon.
However, O’Sullivan cemented his victory and the £500,000 top prize by winning four of the first six frames of the evening.
The ‘Rocket’ had runs of 82, 88, 75, and 85, and at the end of the game, he shared an emotional embrace with Trump that lasted more than a minute before embracing his children who had raced into the arena to partake in his great moment.
The victory of O’Sullivan will add fire to the debate about who is the best snooker player of all time.
The Englishman has now won 39 ranking titles, held nearly every major record in the game, and will end the season as the top-ranked player in the world.
Asked about emulating Hendry’s record at the Crucible, which was set in 1999, O’Sullivan told BBC Sport: “We can share it for a year. I tried to be as relaxed as I could, but that is probably the greatest result I’ve had against somebody like Judd [Trump].
“I’ve never bothered about records. When you get them, it’s kind of nice. I don’t have targets. I’ve loved every tournament this year, I’ve just loved playing.
“I like to win, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. The Crucible brings out the worst in me. It’s probably not the best idea but we’ll probably go again next year.”