Snooker UK Championship 2023 final – Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Ding Junhui LIVE RESULT: Rocket WINS EIGHTH title in style
RONNIE O'SULLIVAN has won his eighth UK Championship title by beating formidable foe Ding Junhui.
The Rocket, 47, won 10-7 in a thrilling final to add another storied chapter to his incredible career.
- Start time: Afternoon session from 1pm, night session from 7pm
- TV channel/ live stream: BBC 2/ BBC website
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And that's a wrap
In 1993, Ronnie O'Sullivan became the youngest to win the World Championship when he defeated Stephen Hendry aged just 17.
Fast forward 30 years, just before his 48th birthday, and Rocket has won his eighth title.
He is the oldest UK champion now.
Thanks for sticking with us through the night as he made history.
Goodnight all.
Davis praise
Steve Davis has heaped praise on Ronnie O'Sullivan after his latest win.
"His will to win is sharp but also his talent is still sharp as well," he told BBC Two.
"There's the possibility that as you get older you start to lose a bit of your ability, maybe the power part of the game and the concentration to relentlessly keep potting balls may not be as strong.
"But with Ronnie O'Sullivan, he's kept himself in good shape and because he has extra special abilities, it's held him in such good stead for so long within the game.
"He's by far the most talented genius we've had in the game."
O'Sullivan lifts the trophy
Here's the man of the moment in his crowning glory.
Have we ever seen as a great a performer in a sport as Rocket Ronnie?
'Genius' O'Sullivan
John Parrot has labelled Ronnie O'Sullivan's last three frames played on a genius level.
He told BBC Two: "If you want to see why we think he's a genius and why he's the greatest of all time, watch the last three frames again. That was genius-level.
"Nobody has been able to finish a match like that in the history of the sport. Those three frames are as good as you will ever see."
Read the report
SunSport's Rob Maul delivers his verdict on an amazing final.
He's not giving up yet
Ronnie is the oldest and youngest winner of the World Championship.
But he certainly shows no signs of slowing down. And he won't be giving up any time soon.
"I keep beating myself up because of the age thing, I keep thinking at some point I've got to stop winning," he said.
"But I keep doing all right so I'll keep going until the wheels fall off!"
Rocket praises his opponent
Ronnie was full of praise for Ding, following his 10-7 win.
"He's played fantastic all week, I've been watching all his games and his cue ball control is the best ever - he's never out of position, it's like watching a computer," he said.
"It's a pleasure to play Ding, he's such a good man - he was a boy when I first started playing him but he's a man now, a father, a credit to China, I call him the Godfather of Chinese snooker, he paved the way for everybody else to believe they could come here and do it.
"He's a massive inspiration to all snooker players - I'm a massive fan of his and it's an honour to play him in the final. I know there are probably millions and millions of people watching in China so for me it is a fantastic experience and the crowd here have been fantastic all week, I love playing here."
O'Sullivan needed a 'good head' tonight
Ronnie O'Sullivan has revealed he needed to play with a 'good head' to triumph.
"Each tournament I win, I take great pleasure in," he told BBC Two.
"Tonight I just had to come out with a good head - I thought, if I'm going to lose, make Ding earn it.
"There was a big crowd and everyone was watching so I wanted to leave blood, sweat and tears on the table if I didn't win.
"I gave it my all, I love competing and I loved competing with Ding tonight."
That last break
Incredible way to end.
O'Sullivan's break of 129 saw off a spirited Ding.
He missed the pink, but what does it matter.
O'SULLIVAN IS CHAMP
And there it is, his crowning glory, and an eighth title
We have watched a master at work in O'Sullivan who has just won the UK Championship.
Someone in the crowd shouted "Legend" before he smashed in a red in those final last shots.
They're not wrong.
O'SULLIVAN 10-7 DING
After a mistake with an escape from Ding, Ronnie returned to the table with his opponent suffered a five-point penalty.
Wasting absolutely no time, he raced to a 33 point break. Just when it looked like he left himself out of position from a red, an aggressive black pot spreads out the pack.
It's enough for him to see out the frame with over a century.
O'SULLIVAN 9-7 DING
Now it's a 74 break that seals the frame for O'Sullivan.
Ding didn't even have to leave his chair.
This is well within Ronnie's grasp now, and he's playing some spell-binding snooker.
One frame needed.
O'SULLIVAN 8-7 DING
Ronnie hits his stride again.
A masterclass from him in breaking - a break of 100 exactly.
He missed the last red, but it mattered not one bit.
Just two frames needed to win the title for Ronnie now.
O'SULLIVAN 7-7 DING
Well, well, well.
Truly astonishing from Ding with a break of 104.
4-1 down to 4-4, 7-5 down to 7-7.
Incredible from the 36-year-old.
O'SULLIVAN 7-6 DING
An early fantastic blue from Ding shows the man's resilience and sets the tone for this frame.
A misjudged safety from Rocket then allows his opponent to build a comfortable lead, with the reds opened up and the blue and pink available.
But, horror strikes when he misses a red to the middle after a break of 52.
With a lead of 55 on the table, O'Sullivan misses a red allowing Ding to put the frame to bed.
Don't write off Ding
John Parrot is adamant Ding still has a lot to say in this final.
He may have lost the last two frames of that session, but he's still very much in it.
Parrot told the BBC Sport: "We've said it about Ding all week, he's been very resilient and he's dug in. There's a lot of snooker left in this match yet.
"He'll be disappointed to be 7-5 behind but if he maintains the same attitude he's had all week, expect him to be fighting back."
Steve Davis' view of Ronnie's concession of frame 10
Steve Davis told the BBC: "Ronnie's freedom of cueing in tense situations is a very important asset - he's always had the ability to maintain his rhythm.
"So even if he has a scrappy frame that goes wrong - for example he gave in that frame when he could have tried for snookers, he decided rightly or wrongly, to concede and get on with it.
"If it was another player we might be criticising them for that but then once he's among the balls in the next couple of frames, it looks like it's the right decision."
O’SULLIVAN 7-5 DING
Ronnie O’Sullivan retains his two-frame advantage with a score of 79 in frame 12.
He only needs three more frames to win the UK Championship for an eighth time and scoop the £250,000 jackpot.
We are now all taking a break.
The match will be finished this evening.
O’SULLIVAN 6-5 DING
Ronnie O’Sullivan bangs in breaks of 40 and a crowd-pleasing 87 and once more he is back in front of this match.
Don’t forget he has not been behind at all day.
In fact, the last time he has been behind in this tournament was in the quarter-finals when he was down 5-4 against Zhou Yuelong before winning 6-5.
Ding draws level and O’Sullivan responds by winning the next frame. One more frame to go and then we have a mid-session interval.
O’SULLIVAN 5-5 DING
Ronnie O’Sullivan pots a red but was unable to cannon the cue ball into the black to open up the pack.
After O’Sullivan missed a mid-range blue to top left, Ding comes to the table and compiles a 56 to take a stranglehold of the 10th frame.
O’Sullivan soon decides he cannot be bothered to play on with 51 points on the table and one snooker required.
So, he whacks the cue ball and yellow ball with his cue and off we go on to the 11th frame.
O’SULLIVAN 5-4 DING
Ronnie O’Sullivan ensures he does not fall behind to Ding Junhui for the first time in this match.
A break of 84 gives him an early hold in this contest.
O’Sullivan has worn shoes for the past three matches but at the start of the competition he had trainers on.
Speaking on Eurosport earlier in the week, he explained: “I’ve got plantar fasciitis which is, the easiest way to explain it is, it’s like a bruise on your heel.
“So when you put your foot down, it’s really sore. Leather-soled shoes just absolutely batter my feet to pieces.
“So I’ve had to resort to getting some really big old soles on them, just to sort of give my foot a rest, basically.”
Here we go
The boys are on the baize.
They have walked down the stairs from the upper tier of the York Barbican, along past the fans and within touching distance of the UK Championship trophy.
Who will strike first in this final?
Their last meeting in a Triple Crown final was 16 years ago.
Money, money, money
The winner of tonight's UK Championship will get £250,000 in prize money. Which is the second-biggest prize in snooker after the Crucible cash pot.
The runner-up will earn £100,000 for their troubles.
Whatever happens, Ronnie O’Sullivan will remain as world No.1 heading into the Masters. A position he has held since May 2022.
Judd Trump’s semi-final defeat on Saturday to Ding Junhui meant he could not challenge.
Good evening, welcome to the SunSport blog of the 2023 UK Championship final.
The action is set to start after 7pm.
Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui are locked at 4-4 apiece from this afternoon's session.
We have a minimum of six frames tonight.
If it goes all the way then there will be 11 frames.
Good sport
O'Sullivan showed his sportsmanship in that sixth frame.
Accidentally, he grazed a red with his cue while using the bridge rest.
Immediately, he fessed up and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Ding went on to win the frame, which staged his comeback.