Ronnie O’Sullivan delivered a snooker masterclass after staring defeat in the face to beat Ali Carter in Sunday’s Masters Final at Alexandra Palace.
The 48-year-old struggled during the afternoon session and went into the evening session 5-3 down.
Carter managed to extend his lead to 6-3 during the first frame of the restart.
But O’Sullivan upped the ante, like only the best do, to turn the match around and reign supreme.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is on top of the world after winning the Masters at Alexandra Palace on Sunday night
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Due to his advantage in the afternoon, Carter was daring to dream of revenge.
He’d previously lost to O’Sullivan in the 2008 final, while also falling to defeat against the same opponent four years later.
Both men made century breaks, sharing the first four frames of the match.
But Carter managed to edge in front after a sensational run of 122 before claiming two of the next three frames.
O’Sullivan had previously laid down a marker by taking the opener, showing no nerves in the process.
Carter ended the afternoon session 5-3 up, with victory in sight.
Yet O’Sullivan was a man on a mission and, with the match beginning to slip away, wasted no time in getting to work.
The Rocket seemed more focused and less aggressive than earlier in the day and winning three frames in a row helped him draw level.
With the Alexandra Palace crowd on his side, there was only ever going to be one winner.
O’Sullivan has shown over the years that he’s unparalleled in the sport, even if his body language sometimes suggests he’s losing some enthusiasm.
And you could see Carter start to lose hope as his opponent started to dominate.
The pace of the match was a turning point, with O’Sullivan securing three frames in just 37 minutes, scoring 240 points in the process.
After the interval, Carter seemed to regain his composure.
The 44-year-old secured his ninth century break of the tournament, making Masters history in the process.
He then edged in front at 7-6 but O’Sullivan, somewhat expectedly, continued the hunt.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan struggled for a while before mounting a stirring comeback to win the Masters
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The Rocket levelled to make it 7-7, sealing the frame with a run of 45.
As the end of the match neared, the tension inside Ally Pally was evident.
On more than one occasion referee Ben Williams warned those in attendance to keep the noise down.
And in the end, it was O’Sullivan who was able to edge the contest and etch his name into the record books once again – with the veteran going 8-7 up before closing out the match.
It was a final for the ages, a snooker match that captivated many.
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s quality was too much for Ali Carter as snooker icon won the Masters once again
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And O’Sullivan will now bask in the glory of his latest triumph, one that moves him two clear of Stephen Hendry and five in front of Mark Selby.
As for Carter, the 44-year-old gave his all. But it wasn’t to be third time lucky and he’ll need to lick his wounds and go again next year.
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