O'Sullivan Takes Fifth League Title in a Row

Ronnie O'Sullivan won the Premier League play-offs for the fifth time in succession and the eighth in all by beating Mark Selby 7-2 at Hopton-on-Sea, Norfolk, last night.

A closer contest had been expected after Selby's 5-0 semi-final trouncing of Stephen Hendry but his sublime performance with consecutive breaks of 110, 128, 115 and 77 was followed by one rife with unforced errors against O'Sullivan, who exploited almost every break-making opportunity. Runs of 93, 62, 83 and 62 featured in his progress to 5-0 and further efforts of 105 and 74 saw him past the post after Selby averted a whitewash with a blackball win and another frame with a break of 84.

O'Sullivan won ?75,000 and Selby pocketed ?54,000. Selby said his precipitous loss of form left him "disappointed" and reflected that, against O'Sullivan, "if you don't take your chances you're dead".

O'Sullivan, held to 4-4 in his semi-final by Joe Perry, the World No12, before seizing the decider with a break of 104, considered that he has "not played well this season" and hopes that the win will "kick-start" it. "Mark's coming after me. A lot of them are coming after me and I want to keep them at bay for as long as I can."

He said, though, that he does not expect to be playing in five years and added that he lacks "the passion" to equal Hendry's seven world titles. O'Sullivan has three.

Ricky Walden compiled a 16-red clearance of 141 in losing 9-7 to Mark Davis in the third qualifying round of the UK Championship in Sheffield. This feat is possible only when a free ball has been awarded with all 15 reds left; it had been achieved only twice previously in competition. Jimmy White was beaten 9-8 by Rory McLeod after levelling from 8-5 down.