Champion of Champions snooker – Day 7: O’Sullivan wins fourth title

The 2022 edition of the Champion of Champions tournament is at its end. 16 players have been reduced to two, and Ronnie O’Sullivan faced Judd Trump to claim the prize. The seven-time world champion entered the final the most successful player in the history of the event – he has won it three times, and easily brushed aside his opposition on his quest for a fourth title. But he faced Trump, who is on phenomenal form and who reached the final with superb match play in all aspects of the game. It was guaranteed to be a top-quality final, but who would win it? Here’s what happened on the final day of the tournament.

O’Sullivan got off to a roaring start, despite splits on the pack going wrong in both opening frames. It took two visits each frame, but safety errors by Trump led to breaks of 96 and 103 to establish a 2-0 lead. Trump produced a great long red in frame three to put his first point on the board, but he landed on nothing – he made another, though, but only made 15 before missing a pink to centre left. There was an open table left – O’Sullivan made 52 before a surprising miss himself, and Trump had a chance, which he took.

In the final frame before the interval, a prolonged safety battle forced Trump into taking on a tough pot. He missed, leaving O’Sullivan a fairly open table, on which he made 40. Trump had a chance to steal, which he didn’t take, and a cross-double on the final red gave O’Sullivan the initiative. He missed a tough cut on the green – Trump got it, then went in-off. O’Sullivan needed up to pink to steal the frame, and he made those pots with no difficulty to move 3-1 ahead.

The defending champion had a good chance in frame seven, but he had no reds to go for and had to end his break at 31

Trump hoped to get back into the match and erode O’Sullivan’s lead, but it wasn’t to happen in frame five. O’Sullivan made 45 before missing a long red and leaving Trump a chance – but he could only make 14, and the world champion soon returned to the table to put another frame on the board. An O’Sullivan error left Trump first chance in frame six, but a poor positional error ended the break on just six. O’Sullivan won the safety battle, and then benefitted from a fluke, before missing a red to bottom left. Trump had to take advantage, but he couldn’t – his lead was extended to 5-1, meaning he was guaranteed an advantage in the final session. The question was how big it would be.

The defending champion had a good chance in frame seven, but he had no reds to go for and had to end his break at 31. A good O’Sullivan safety, and Trump’s failed attempts to escape, gave the world champion a chance – he made 88 to extend his lead to five. O’Sullivan played a bad safety to give Trump a chance, and he took this one in style, making a 147 to go 6-2 behind. Trump would have hoped for momentum, but O’Sullivan got in first. He made 32, but he left an open table for Trump. He made 96, meaning it was 6-3 going into the evening session.

In the evening, Trump needed some momentum, but he missed his first chance and then left a red for O’Sullivan and a very open table. The world champion punished him with a 106 break to move within three of victory. Trump took on a long pot in frame 11, and made a break of 32 before landing on nothing when he opened the pack. After a safety fight, O’Sullivan took on and missed a long red – from there, Trump responded to pull a frame back. In the next frame, O’Sullivan missed another long red – Trump opened the pack and had a perfect opportunity, from which he fashioned an 82. A bad O’Sullivan safety left Trump an easy starter over right middle, and a 100 made it 7-6 to O’Sullivan. Suddenly, the match was anyone’s.

It was the final session, and the first frame was key – could O’Sullivan stop Trump’s momentum? Trump had first chance, but then he missed a long pot and left the red over right middle – O’Sullivan made 124. In the next frame, a Trump safety error gave the initiative to O’Sullivan, and he produced an 85 to move within one of victory. Both players missed opportunities – O’Sullivan an awkward pink to middle right, Trump mid-distance pink to bottom right – but soon it was the world champion at the table, making a match-winning 81 break to secure the Champion of Champions title for the fourth time.