Rocket wins the fourth championship of the Champions Crown

• Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Judd Trump 10-6 to win his fourth Cazoo Champion of Champions title
• O’Sullivan receives the top prize of £150,000 and reclaims the Champion of Champions title for the first time since 2018
• The matchup from today was the most recent in a rivalry that is gradually emerging as essential to the current game

At the University of Bolton Stadium, Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Judd Trump 10-6 to win his fourth Cazoo Champion of Champions title.

With the victory, O’Sullivan receives the top prize of £150,000 and reclaims the Champion of Champions title for the first time since 2018. Additionally, he triumphed in 2013 and 2014.

The Rocket’s excellent season-long form, which previously saw him win a trophy at the Hong Kong Masters last month, has continued. The final in the Hong Kong Coliseum, which was played out in front of a record-breaking 9,000 spectators, saw O’Sullivan defeat Marco Fu 6-4.

The matchup from today was the most recent in a rivalry that is gradually emerging as essential to the current game. O’Sullivan and Trump are meeting for the first time since competing in the World Championship final earlier this year. On that day, O’Sullivan, who has won 39 ranking events, triumphed by a score of 18–13, capturing his remarkable seventh Crucible title.

O’Sullivan now has a 14-13 advantage against Trump in the head-to-head matchup. But after losing their last two championship matches, Trump, 33, still has a 7-5 advantage over O’Sullivan in the matchup.

O’Sullivan established a dominating 6-1 lead in the afternoon session when Trump stormed back into the game. In the eighth frame, he recorded his seventh career 147 break. He then won the final frame to finish just three back at 6-3.

O’Sullivan started the evening session with a lot of determination, and a run of 106 for a century gave him a four-point lead at 7-3.

Trump, however, resisted giving in and letting the evening become into a procession. By winning the next three frames without giving up a point, he managed to keep O’Sullivan at bay. He was able to get within one frame at 7-6 entering the last interval of the match thanks to runs 82 and 100.

The Ace in the Pack was not prepared for that pause, and O’Sullivan stepped it up when play resumed. He reversed the trend and closed the gap on the winner at 9-6 with contributions of 124 and 85.

Trump got the first opportunity in the 16th, but he faltered on 18 and O’Sullivan mercilessly intervened with a run of 81 to cross the finish line and win 10-6.

“We both know we didn’t flow today. It was a grafting performance. I didn’t leave anything out there. My temperament and attitude, I was just trying to stay as professional as I could and stay in the moment,” said 46-year-old O’Sullivan.

“Even at 6-1 up, I didn’t once think about the lead. I know what Judd is like and I knew he could do what he did and pull back to 7-6. I was just pleased with how I dug in at the end there. We both like to play well every frame, but that is just not possible. This game is too hard for that.

“I’m not as hungry as all of the other players. I am happy to be here, I like to compete and I like to enjoy the game. No matter what I do, whether it is running or the gym, I am very competitive. I don’t need to be competitive, I am just relaxed and chilled out. I take every match as it comes and I enjoy being out here, it is like being on a holiday to me.”

Trump said: “I am disappointed with how I played. I thought Ronnie scored very heavily all day. That puts you under pressure, every time you get a chance you have to clear up in one visit. I obviously didn’t do that enough. His scoring was too heavy and well done to him.

“At that point (the 147 in the seventh frame), I had nothing to lose. I just thought I would go for a max and see what happens. It is always special to make them and even more so in a final against Ronnie. It is another thing ticked off the CV, but I’m disappointed to lose.”

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