Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker: The sublime Ronnie O’Sullivan defeats Luca Bressel to win inaugural title

Ronnie O’Sullivan was in commanding form as he defeated Luca Brecel 5-2 to win the first Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker.

It was a heavyweight showdown between two of the most entertaining fighters in the sport, and it lived up to the hype as both men looked close to their fluent best.

‘The Rocket’ fell behind 2-1 but rattled off four successive frames, including a double century, adding another title to his prestigious roster and taking home the top prize of £250,000.

“It was a great tournament, a great venue and a great crowd,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport.

“It has been such a great treat to have snooker return to the Middle East. All the players are enjoying themselves and we are very grateful to be back here.”

Bressel had the first chance of a best-of-nine match, but he missed the rest after scoring just three points, allowing O’Sullivan to take the lead.

Cheered on by the biggest crowd of the week, the seven-time world champion shot a 95 to take an early lead and miss out on the last blue of the century.

Brecel immediately fired back. An unlucky split in the pack at 48 points forced the “Belgian Bullets” to play it safe, but when the kick thwarted O’Sullivan’s reaction, he returned and restored parity at 1-1.

The situation quickly became 2-1 after Bressel nailed the third long red for many frames to score an 81-point fast break and advance.

Riding the momentum, the reigning world champion looked set to push his advantage into the next match, but offered O’Sullivan a lifeline when he missed a black on the spot. The Rockets had a chance to jump to tie the score with a clear 94 points. 2-2 again.

And that was the turning point of the match. At the end of the interval, O’Sullivan’s lead was restored with 121 (his first century of the final), and a 4-2 sixth-inning victory brought him one step closer to clinching the title.

With his back to the wall, Bressel missed an ambitious plant and split the pack, forcing O’Sullivan to spread the red. And he made no mistake, clinching the title in a style befitting a dazzling century.

Along with all his other accomplishments, O’Sullivan became the first player in the history of the sport to win a tournament in Saudi Arabia and also broke the record for the most money won in a season.