Tomorrow will see the Rocket take centre stage in the UK final once again, 30 years on from his maiden triumph. O’Sullivan famously won the 1993 UK Championship as a 17-year-old, becoming the youngest ever winner of a ranking event. Since then he has gone on to amass seven UK Championship wins and 39 ranking titles, both are record tallies.
O’Sullivan will take to the baize tomorrow in his ninth UK final. As well as in 1993, he’s lifted the famous trophy in 1997, 2001, 2007, 2014, 2017 and 2018. The only UK final he’s ever lost came in 2016 at the hands of Mark Selby.
O’Sullivan and Vafaei have a history against each other, after a war of words broke out ahead of their World Championship clash earlier this year. Tensions arose between the pair when O’Sullivan smashed the reds open from the break in a 5-0 win for Vafaei in 2022 German Masters. He returned the favour at the Crucible, but succumbed to a thumping 13-2 defeat at the hands of the Rocket, who had his retribution. After the match they appeared to have made up as they embraced walking out of the arena. Today saw O’Sullivan once again assert his authority in their rivalry.
Defeat for Vafaei ends his hopes of moving into the world’s top 16 and confirms that Jack Lisowski is safe in 16th position in the Race for the Masters. O’Sullivan will remain on top of the world rankings unless Judd Trump wins the event, he’s in action against Ding in this evening’s second semi-final.
Vafaei had the first chance in the opening frame, but failed to convert and O’Sullivan earned the advantage. A century run of 113 doubled O’Sullivan’s lead, before Vafaei responded with 112 to make it 2-1. The last before the interval went the way of the Iranian and they went in all-square at 2-2.
“If he played like he did in the previous matches he probably would have beaten me today, but he missed a few balls and let me off the hook a few times,” said 47-year-old O’Sullivan.
“It is just survival. I think sometimes that is the difference with the chance of winning tournaments. If you can win when you aren’t playing your best you can win tournaments. I think that is what is happening with John Higgins, he isn’t winning when he’s having those bad matches. I think that is something we don’t really appreciate.
“I’m at that stage where I’m hanging around so people don’t get as good of a career. If I can beat Selby here and Judd there. I’m here to spoil there parties and ruin their CV!
“It was an amazing time (winning the 1993 UK Championship). The Preston Guild Hall, early in my career. It was an amazing venue and to win a tournament there. I played Steve Davis and then Stephen Hendry in the final. Beating my two heroes in the same tournament was weird. It was quite surreal and a good time.”
Vafaei said: “In front of my hero I don’t have that heart like I have with other people. I don’t know what is wrong with me but all of a sudden my body felt so heavy. I don’t know, I felt completely different. All of a sudden it was like somebody threw cold water on me. To be honest with you I had a good tournament. I started two weeks ago. It was a good run and it was only one man that could stop me, Ronnie O’Sullivan.”