Ronnie O'Sullivan has admitted he doesn't get the same level of enjoyment out of winning as he did when he began regularly winning tournaments thirty years ago.

The greatest of all time secured a record extending eighth UK Championship crown last night after defeating Chinese legend Ding Junhui 10-7 in the final at York's Barbican Centre.

It capped off a magnificent week for The Rocket, who came throught two final-frame deciders, as he secured his first ranking event victory since winning the World Championship in 2022.

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The win also represented a 'coming full-circle' event for O'Sullivan as he is now the youngest and oldest ever winner of the event. His first came thirty years ago, aged just 17.

Speaking afterwards however, he remained typically downbeat and admitted to not getting the same buzz out of winning nowadays. He said: "I’m not sitting here with a massive grin and super-excited. I just go through the motions a lot of the time.

‘It’s great to win and I give my best when I’m out there and I want to win, but it’s not the same excitement as years ago when I was winning my first world and UK and Masters titles, and you’re buzzing.

‘Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a nice feeling and a job well done, but I get more of a buzz from going for a run in the morning or having breakfast with my mate.

‘I don’t actually feel like ever playing. Once you get down there you think you’re glad you’ve done it, but even in this match today I was thinking I didn’t feel like it, I’d rather sit on my bed and watch a bit of Netflix. I feel like that a lot of the time.’

Ding also enjoyed a succesful week as he looks to claw himself back towards the upper echelons of the game. He looked bang in the match at 7-7 after spirited comebacks from 4-1 and 7-5 behind. He will though, be left to lick his wounds after a second consecutive defeat in a UK Championship final, he lost a year ago to Mark Allen despite leading 6-1.

The pair won't have to wait long for their next encounter, as they have been pitted against each other in the first round of The Masters which gets underway on January 7th.

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