O'Sullivan rockets to easy victory over Maguire

Published on Sunday 16 December 2007 20:51

RONNIE O'Sullivan was at his brilliant best as he claimed a fourth Maplin UK Championship with a stunning 10-2 victory over Stephen Maguire last night.

Resuming 8-0 ahead from the afternoon session, the two-time world champion took under an hour to wrap up the two frames required for victory at the Telford International Centre with an awesome display.

Maguire restored some pride with two half-centuries in the ninth and 11th frames, but it was a case of when rather than if as O'Sullivan recorded his two biggest breaks of the match to complete a victory which restores him to provisional world No1.

He showed no signs of a hangover from the stunning 147 break in the 9-8 victory over Mark Selby which clinched his final berth, making a break of 54 from his very first shot before sealing the opening frame with another run of 66. In contrast, Maguire, who defeated Shaun Murphy in the last four, began nervously and was given little chance to make his mark as "The Rocket" took the second with 33 and 35 breaks.

The last time O'Sullivan lifted the UK title was in 2001, when he swept aside Ken Doherty 10-1, and this contest was similarly one-sided.

In the evening session, the man from Milton prevented a possible whitewash with a 99 break – then the biggest of the contest – to restore some pride in the ninth frame.

Normal service was resumed in the tenth, however, as O'Sullivan swiftly seized that honour by recording a 126 – the only surprise being how long it had taken to arrive.

A 57 break from Maguire in the 11th delayed the inevitable but O'Sullivan brought the audience to their feet with a run of 94 to cap a magnificent victory.