January 14th 2024.
Ronnie O'Sullivan was able to come out on top against Ali Carter in a nail-biting match at Alexandra Palace. In an interview, the snooker legend shared that the only thing that kept him going during the evening session was the excitement of seeing if his opponent had what it takes to win. Ultimately, the Rocket secured his eighth Masters title with a 10-7 victory over the Captain, but not without a tough battle.
The 48-year-old found himself trailing behind Carter after the first session, with the Captain impressively sinking his ninth century of the tournament and tying the score at 7-7. However, O'Sullivan was determined to make a comeback, despite feeling unsure about his own performance. "I feel relaxed, but my cueing is just not great," he admitted to Eurosport. "I'm not confident at the moment. I know I can battle it out, but it's tough when you're not playing with confidence."
The world number one showed a more calculated approach in the evening session, explaining that he wanted to see if Carter had the nerve to take him down and win the tournament. "The balls went in and I got the result. I just had to keep Ali honest," O'Sullivan shared. "I thought, let's see if he had the bottle to get over the line." He also revealed that he enjoys seeing his opponents falter under pressure, saying, "I love it when their bottle goes. You can play terrible and still get them to that point."
For Carter, it was a tough loss after an impressive run, defeating top players like Mark Williams, Judd Trump, and Mark Allen. "I'm not saying Ali did, but he let me off the hook tonight," O'Sullivan acknowledged. "That gave me a little bit of confidence." Despite losing to O'Sullivan in three Triple Crown finals, Carter remains positive and sees this as a step in the right direction for his career.
As for the new Masters champion, he plans to take a break from tournaments for a while. "I just want to enjoy some time off," O'Sullivan shared. "I'll come back when I'm ready." But for now, he can bask in the glory of yet another victory and continue to make history in the world of snooker.
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