O'Sullivan wins fifth Masters title

Ronnie O'Sullivan wins his fifth Masters title at London's Alexandra Palace on Jan 19, 2014.[Photo/Xinhua]

LONDON -- Ronnie O'Sullivan beat fellow Englishman and defending champion Mark Selby 10-4 to win his fifth Masters title at London's Alexandra Palace on Sunday.

The 38-year-old, also a five-time world champion, took a commanding 7-1 lead in the first session and went on to seal the victory at the night session despite a few late mistakes. The victory earned him a top prize of 200,000 pounds.

O'Sullivan conceded just seven frames during the tournament, beating Robert Milkins 6-1, Ricky Walden 6-0 and Stephen Maguire 6-2. He also set a world record in his victory over Walden, taking only 58 minutes and scoring 556 points without reply.

"It's a great feeling," said O'Sullivan. "I expected it to be 10-9 or 10-8 because Mark is such a competitor and there's not much between us. He plays better when he's behind and you're never over the line against him until you pot the last ball.

"I've got five World, five Masters and four UKs now and I never dreamed I would do this well. It's just nice to be playing and competing at 38 because most of the others now are in their late 20s or early 30s. I have set myself a target of winning the world title when I'm in my 40s. Tom Watson nearly won the Open at 59.

"I'm competing with the players from the new era and the standard is high. To beat Mark 10-4 after the epic finals we have had is great. The way I've played in the last two years is how I wanted to play for the previous 18. Better late than never I suppose."