Ronnie O’Sullivan comes back from behind to beat Ali Carter, lifts eighth Masters title

Ronnie O’Sullivan came back from behind to beat opponent Ali Carter 10-7 and win a record-extending eighth Masters title. This win means that O’Sullivan is on course to complete the snooker’s triple crown in one season.

He won the UK Championship in December, now the Masters. If he goes on to win the World Championship in May, he will join an exclusive club of players who won the snooker’s triple crown in one season – Steve Davis (1988), Stephen Hendry (1995 and 1996) and Mark Williams (2003).

No stranger to breaking records, at 48, O’Sullivan has become the oldest Masters champion as well as the youngest. He boasts of his record at the UK Championship as well.

As for Carter, he looked in control and was eyeing a first triple crown title as he opened up a 5-3 lead after the first session and immediately extended his advantage when play resumed.

But O’Sullivan had other ideas, he reeled off three frames in succession to get back on level terms. However, Carter made his ninth century of the tournament in the 13th frame, breaking O’Sullivan’s record in 2007 and 2009.

“I don’t know how I’ve won this tournament, to be honest with you,” O’Sullivan told BBC Sport.

“I’ve just dug deep. I’ve tried to play with a bit of freedom and then tonight I just thought try to keep Ali honest and if he’s going to win it he’s going to have to scrape me off the table. I just wanted to see if he had it at the end.

“Ali didn’t play great tonight, he played better this afternoon, but tonight he let me off the hook a few times. He was aggressive today but tonight he didn’t take on some of the balls I thought he might have and gave me a little bit of breathing space.”

Carter said: “Obviously I’m gutted I lost, it’s all about winning at the end of the day, but before I rocked up here last week I’d have taken the final so there’s a lot of good things to come for me. I’m heading in the right direction. Ronnie played very well there in the end. I tried my best and it just wasn’t good enough today.”

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