RONNIE O’SULLIVAN STORMED back from three frames down to win the World Grand Prix final 10-7 against Judd Trump before calling his rival the favourite to win the world title in Sheffield.
Just as he did in the Masters final last week, O’Sullivan faced a 6-3 deficit despite recovering from a 4-0 start, but the world number one reeled off six straight frames as he ruthlessly punished any mistake Trump made in the evening session.
The key moment came in the 14th frame, when O’Sullivan opened with a break of 51 but then missed a tricky red. Trump came to the table and got to within three points as he lined up the final black, only to hit the near cushion and leave O’Sullivan an easy pot.
The following frame then became a tense battle of snookers and, just as Trump seemed to have cracked it, the final brown stayed deep in the jaws and O’Sullivan capitalised, going on to lift his fourth trophy of the season and building on his recent UK Championship and Masters titles.
“I enjoyed that, I really did,” O’Sullivan said on ITV. “I started the week feeling a bit rough but I bought myself an air fryer and started eating a bit better.
“I knew I would have to play well to do something against Judd. He blasted me off the table 4-0 and I thought it could be an early night, 10-1 or something, but I managed to nick a few and getting back to 5-3 gave me a bit of optimism.
“I came out just trying to enjoy the battle. You have to battle against Judd. He’s a warrior and he’s the favourite for the World Championship for sure.”
Trump had certainly made himself the favourite to win this final as he seized the initiative in the afternoon, with a break of 74 giving him the first frame before O’Sullivan uncharacteristically spurned a chance to steal the second as he fell two behind.
O’Sullivan once again failed to punish his opponent for a pair of misses in the third frame, going in-off from an attempted safety which enabled Trump to chisel out the points required to extend his lead.
A nightmare mini-session was complete as Trump made 69 to move further in front, but O’Sullivan finally stirred upon the resumption to take the fifth frame in two visits.
Trump failed to punish O’Sullivan for more misses in frame six, but he got the better of frame seven in what was proving an increasingly scrappy encounter to restore his three-frame lead.
Trump again spurned a fine chance to wrap up the afternoon session four frames in front when he missed a black on a break of 33, and O’Sullivan finally showed a glimpse of his earlier form with an excellent response of 63.
Trump took the first frame of the evening session but O’Sullivan’s response was decisive as he found his touch, reeling off the next six without response, making the final result inevitable.
