Hat-trick close for O'Sullivan

Ronnie O’Sullivan is poised to join a select band if he completes his demolition of outsider Ali Carter during today’s conclusion of the 888.com World Championship final at the Crucible theatre.

The Rocket is set to become only the eighth player to win more than two world titles after establishing an 11-5 overnight lead in the best-of-35-frames showdown.

Only Joe and Fred Davis, John Spencer, John Pulman, Ray Reardon, Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry have achieved that milestone.

And on-site bookmakers are so confident 32-year-old O’Sullivan will win the final they have made him a staggering 1-200 on to dispose of Carter, who is rated at 20-1.

O’Sullivan never quite matched the perfection of his semi-final demolition of seven-times winner Hendry.

But he still had too much fire-power for Carter, who is appearing in the first ranking final of his 12-year professional career.

And O’Sullivan ended yesterday’s play in style by becoming only the second player after Hendry in 1994-95 to amass 50 centuries during a season.

A 106 break in the final frame was his 12th ton during the past fortnight.

In addition, Sullivan compiled a further seven 50-plus breaks against an opponent who paid the penalty for not making the most of the opportunities that came his way.

But then the writing had been on the wall before the start for Carter, who had lost all eight previous meetings with his former practice partner.

And it would the biggest upset in a world final since 150-1 outsider Joe Johnson overcame the then supreme Steve Davis in the 1986 final should Carter fight back and win today.

Even O’Sullivan’s ’B’ game was too strong for Carter and there is still a chance the final could end a session early if O’Sullivan wins seven of the eight frames during the afternoon period.

O’Sullivan stamped his authority on proceedings in the first session when he opened up a 6-2 lead and ensured there was no Carter fightback in the evening.

He stretched his advantage in the first frame with a break of 78 after Carter had failed to cut a red into the green pocket.

The 28-year-old from Tiptree won the next – a scrappy affair spanning nearly half an hour – but paid the penalty in frame 11 when missing a straightforward red into the black pocket.

O’Sullivan put together a run of 86 before Carter finally found some fluency in the last frame before the mid-session interval with a 76 to the final black.

Carter continued his mini revival with an 80 clearance in frame 13 to cut his deficit to three frames.

But after that he had to take a back seat again as breaks of 86, 57 and 106 ensured O’Sullivan will be strong favourite to finish the job on Monday.