Ronnie O’Sullivan, who became snooker’s youngest ever ranking winner with the UK Championship title in 1993, has reached another Triple Crown final 30 years later.
He secured a 6-2 victory against Hossein Vafaei in York, marking their first encounter since their much-anticipated clash at the World Championship earlier this year.
In that meeting, Vafaei drew attention by aggressively breaking the pack of reds on his first break-off shot.
Despite the history, Saturday’s match showcased mutual respect, with O’Sullivan and Vafaei exchanging words at its conclusion.
This victory propels O’Sullivan to his ninth UK Championship final, an event he has won a record seven times, most recently in 2018.
The 47-year-old snooker legend will face Ding Junhui in Sunday’s final, following Ding’s 6-4 win against Judd Trump.
O’Sullivan’s last ranking tournament victory was at the 2022 World Championship, and he withdrew from the Champion of Champions in November for a mental health break after winning the Shanghai Masters earlier in the season.
Reflecting on his mindset, O’Sullivan expressed a desire to go beyond mere satisfaction with reaching the last 16 or quarters, emphasizing his discomfort with subpar performances, attributing it to stage fright or fear of embarrassing himself.
He clarified that losses are part of the sport, but the fear of underperforming on the big stage remains a challenge.
In the match against Vafaei, O’Sullivan started strongly with a break of 113, marking his 1,228th career century. Although Vafaei leveled the scores at 2-2 before the mid-session interval, O’Sullivan regained control with breaks of 35 and 60.
Crucial mistakes from Vafaei in subsequent frames allowed O’Sullivan to secure a 6-2 victory and advance to his 30th Triple Crown final, relying on his experience to navigate through the match. While it may not have been vintage O’Sullivan, his ability to close out matches was evident, marking another milestone in his illustrious career.
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