RONNIE O’Sullivan secured his fourth world title tonight after beating Ali Carter in the World Championship Final.

The Rocket only needed an hour in tonight’s final session to wrap up a comfortable 18-11 win over his Essex rival and become one of very few players to win the title on at least four occasions – joining the likes of Joe Davis, Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Ray Reardon and John Higgins.

Leading 15-10 from this afternoon’s session, breaks of 22 and 70 gave O’Sullivan the perfect start to move six frames ahead at 16-10.

A determined Carter kept his slim hopes of victory alive with a run of 64 in the 27th frame to go 16-11 behind.

But O’Sullivan was in no mood to rest on his laurels and two visits to the table helped him to regain his mighty six-frame advantage to go just one frame away from the winning post.

Then the inevitable happened in the next frame as a cracking pot on a red to the left middle pocket set up the new world number 9 a chance to seal the match. He did not disappoint and a fluent break of 61 won him the match and the championship.

O’Sullivan’s driven focus and quality of play over the past seventeen days has been a joy to watch and is a fully deserved winner of the trophy and the £250,000 winning prize.

Credit must also go to Carter who has had a superb tournament given the problems he has had to face this season in terms of health and lack of form.