Ronnie beat Judd Trump by 10-7 yesterday evening to become the 2024 World Grand Prix Champion. Ronnie came back from 0-4 and 3-6 behind! This is Ronnie’s 41st ranking title, his fourth professional title this season and his third World Grand Prix crown.

Congratulations Ronnie!

Here are the scores

WST shared an account of the Final frame by frame

AFTERNOON FRAMES

Frame one
We’re all expecting a blockbuster final today, and what a start! Trump knocks in a long red and goes on to make 74 before missing a tricky red with the rest. There’s still 67 on the table, but O’Sullivan elects to stay in his chair.
O’Sullivan 0-1 Trump

Frame two
Worrying early signs for O’Sullivan? Trump leads 62-0 when he misses the frame-ball black to a top corner, then O’Sullivan has a chance to clear but pots just one red before a routine black to middle hits the far jaw. Trump adds 40 and he’s two frames up.
O’Sullivan 0-2 Trump

Frame three
Trump has two scoring chances and can only amass 40 points, then O’Sullivan counters before running out of position on the penultimate red, leading 52-40. A safety error from O’Sullivan sends the cue ball in-off, and Trump mops up to extend his advantage. A long way to go, but O’Sullivan needs a foothold soon.
O’Sullivan 0-3 Trump

Frame four
Last night, ITV commentator Phil Yates described O’Sullivan’s performance as the best in a single session he had ever seen, after the Rocket crushed Ding Junhui 6-1. That’s high praise from Yates, who has followed O’Sullivan’s career for over 30 years. But so far today, O’Sullivan’s touch has deserted him. Early in frame four he fails to escape from a snooker four times, eventually leaving a free ball, and Trump makes 69 to complete a clean sweep in the first mini session.
O’Sullivan 0-4 Trump

Frame five
O’Sullivan has first chance and makes 34 before an unwanted flick off a red sends the cue ball in-off. Trump’s opportunity to respond ends when he misses a difficult thin cut on a red to corner, and O’Sullivan adds 27 which proves enough to get him on the scoreboard.
O’Sullivan 1-4 Trump

Frame six
More like it from O’Sullivan – at least in terms of the scoreline. He makes 54 before missing a red to a top corner, and Trump has two chances to punish him, but misses a red then a pink. O’Sullivan adds 60 to close to within two frames. Two more to go in this session.
O’Sullivan 2-4 Trump

Frame seven
Given how good these two have been this season, this final is yet to catch fire in terms of the standard. O’Sullivan again misses red to corner on 28, then Trump’s reply of 40 ends when he loses position. Trump is handed another chance by a weak safety from his opponent, and this time he capitalises with 61 to guarantee a lead going into tonight’s conclusion. The last frame of the session is massive…
O’Sullivan 2-5 Trump

Frame eight
…and O’Sullivan takes it with a brilliant steal! Again he lets slip an early chance, under-cutting a black on 33, before Trump runs out of position on the same score. A clever doubled red gets O’Sullivan back in, followed by a superb slow-rolled black to keep position. He clears with 63, his highest break of the match so far, and that might be the spark he needs. Trump is still ahead but may feel he should have a bigger cushion. They return at 7pm for the conclusion.
O’Sullivan 3-5 Trump

EVENING FRAMES

Frame nine
Big moments at the start of the concluding session. O’Sullivan misses a red to corner leading 19-0 and Trump responds with 66 before losing position with three reds left and missing a tough long pot to a baulk corner. A long red sets up a chance to clear for O’Sullivan, but he can’t get on the awkward green. After a safety battle, O’Sullivan pots the green but then a difficult brown to centre hits the far jaw, and his opponent takes advantage to extend his lead.
O’Sullivan 3-6 Trump

Frame ten
We’re so used to seeing O’Sullivan reel off frames in a single visit, but so far today he has not been as clinical. He makes 58 before failing to pot a red to a centre pocket. This time he is not punished as Trump’s chance to clear ends prematurely with a missed red to a top corner on 12. O’Sullivan adds 56 to close the gap to two again. After ten frames, the highest break is just 74 – no one would have predicted that this morning.
O’Sullivan 4-6 Trump

Frame 11
The highest break is still 74, but this time O’Sullivan does clinch the frame in a single visit. Trump’s attempted long red is well off target, and the red comes back up to baulk, gifting O’Sullivan an opening. He makes 74 and he has now won five of the last seven frames. Is this the change of gear that his fans have been hoping to see?
O’Sullivan 5-6 Trump

Frame 12
O’Sullivan leads 30-0 when he splits the pack off the black but a red drops in. Trump builds a 57-30 lead then plays safe on the last red, but it’s a loose one and he leaves his opponent the chance of a mid-range pot. O’Sullivan slots in the red and clears the table to square the match. Big momentum shift in the last 45 minutes and O’Sullivan has a spring in his step as he walks out of the arena for the interval.
O’Sullivan 6-6 Trump

Frame 13
Just as he did in the Masters final against Ali Carter a week ago, O’Sullivan has grown into the contest after a slow start, and now leads for the first time. He runs out of position on 52, but gets back in with a delightful long red and adds 35. That’s four in a row for the veteran.   
O’Sullivan 7-6 Trump

Frame 14
Drama! O’Sullivan leads 51-0 when he misses a red to corner, and Trump is on the verge of an excellent clearance when he misses the final black. It was tricky as the black was on the top cushion and he was unlucky to finish nearly straight on the pink, before forcing it in to get close to the black. But he under-cut the pot and left it hanging over the corner for O’Sullivan to double his lead. Can Trump recover from that set-back?
O’Sullivan 8-6 Trump

Frame 15
Snooker can be cruel sometimes, Trump must now be feeling. He misses pink to centre on 43, and the frame eventually comes down to the last red. O’Sullivan plays a good safety but Trump pulls off a tremendous pot on the red and looks set to clear, but a cut-back brown to a baulk corner rattles in the pocket and stays on the baize. O’Sullivan dishes up and he’s three ahead with four to play.
O’Sullivan 9-6 Trump

Frame 16
Having lost six frames in a row, Trump pulls one back with a break of 73. He’s not done yet…
O’Sullivan 9-7 Trump

Frame 17
A huge fluke on a red sets up O’Sullivan for a break of 52, though he misses a red to corner just a few pots from the winning line.  Trump responds with 40 but runs out of position on the yellow and leaves it over a baulk corner. O’Sullivan wraps up and he is the 2024 Spreadex World Grand Prix champion!
O’Sullivan 10-7 Trump

They also published more analytical accounts of the sessions

Afternoon session

TRUMP 5-3 UP IN LEICESTER FINAL

udd Trump, aiming to win his fourth ranking title this season, goes into the concluding session of the Spreadex World Grand Prix final with a 5-3 lead over Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Trump led 4-0 in the early stages and may feel he should have finished the session with a greater advantage, as so far O’Sullivan has made numerous errors and shown only glimpses of the form which gave him a 6-1 victory over Ding Junhui on Saturday night. The final resumes at 7pm on Sunday evening, and first to ten frames will take the trophy and £100,000 top prize.

A break of 74 gave Trump the opening frame, then he added the second in three scoring visits. In the third, O’Sullivan led 52-40 when he ran out of position on the penultimate red, then his attempted safety went in-off and Trump punished him for 3-0. A run of 69 saw 34-year-old Trump complete a clean sweep in the first mini session.

After the interval, O’Sullivan got the better of a scrappy fifth frame, then compiled breaks of 54 and 60 to close to 4-2. In the seventh he missed a routine red on 28, and Trump’s runs of 40 and 61 gave him a three-frame cushion. The scores were tied at 33-33 in the last of the session when O’Sullivan played a clever double on a red to a centre pocket, then converted a superb pot on the black, setting up a 63 clearance to leave the contest well poised.

These two kings of the baize have previously met 27 times, 48-year-old O’Sullivan holding a slender 14-13 lead in the head-to-head. This is their 13th final and the younger man has come up Trumps in seven of the previous 12, although O’Sullivan has won their last two finals – at the World Championship and Champion of Champions in 2022. 

O’Sullivan is aiming to win this title for the third time having lifted the trophy in 2018 and 2021. He is playing in his 63rd ranking final and aiming for his 41st title, which would stretch his record to five ahead of Stephen Hendry’s tally of 36. The Rocket has already lifted the trophy this season at the Shanghai Masters, UK Championship and the Masters, and victory today would bring his streak of consecutive match wins to 14.

Already well clear at the top of the official world rankings, having held the number one status since April 2022, O’Sullivan could extend his lead over Trump tonight if he takes the first prize. On the one-year list, Trump is sure to stay on top, with O’Sullivan second, whatever the result today.  

Bristol’s Trump is also aiming for his fourth trophy of the season, and he has appeared in the final of six of the 13 tournaments he has contested so far in 2023/24. The Ace in the Pack is playing in his 42nd ranking final and looking for his 27th title, which would leave him just one behind Steve Davis in fifth position on the all-time list. He is already the only player to have won the World Grand Prix three times, having lifted the trophy in 2015, 2019 and 2020.

Evening session

O’SULLIVAN OVERTURNS TRUMP TO EXTEND TROPHY SEQUENCE

Ronnie O’Sullivan came from 4-0 down to beat Judd Trump 10-7 in the final of the Spreadex World Grand Prix, extending his marvellous run to 14 consecutive match wins and three straight titles.In a golden spell dating back to November, O’Sullivan has landed trophies at the UK Championship, the Masters and now this week’s event in Leicester.

He also captured the Shanghai Masters title in September, and remarkably at the age of 48 he could be closing in on the best season of his career. He brings his tally of ranking titles to 41 – well clear of Stephen Hendry’s 36 in the all-time list – and his prize money for the season close to £900,000.

In terms of standard, this was not a match that lived up to its billing, as the best two players of the season so far went head to head. The highest break was just 74, while O’Sullivan won only one frame in a single visit – in contrast to his imperious display in a 6-1 defeat of Ding Junhui in Saturday’s semi-finals. 

After a strong start, Trump failed to capitalise on his early advantage, making errors at key moments as he let slip a 6-3 lead, losing seven of the last eight frames. In an earlier stage of his career, O’Sullivan might have lacked the resilience to battle back without his A game, but these days his mental toughness is a huge asset, and just as he did against Ali Carter in the Masters final a week ago, he grew stronger as the night progressed.

The Rocket takes the World Grand Prix title for the third time, having won it in 2018 and 2021. He extends his lead at the top of the world rankings, and has now won his last three finals against Trump, having lost seven of their first ten. 

Bristol’s 34-year-old Trump banks £40,00 as runner-up but missed out on a 27th career ranking title and fourth of the season having won three in a row in October during his own purple patch, which covered 22 consecutive match wins

Trump led 5-3 after the first session and extended his advantage in the first frame tonight, making a break of 66 then wrapping it up after O’Sullivan missed a tough pot on the final brown. Breaks of 58, 56 and 75 saw O’Sullivan start his comeback as he closed to 6-5. In frame 12, Trump led 57-30 when he played a weak safety on the last red, handing his opponent the chance to slot in a mid-range pot and clear to square the match.

After the interval, O’Sullivan’s run of 52 helped him take the lead for the first time. He led 51-0 in frame 14 when he missed a red to a top corner, and Trump was on the verge of an excellent clearance until he left a tricky pot on the final black in the jaws, allowing O’Sullivan to go 8-6 up. Again in the 15th Trump had a chance to clear, after an excellent pot on the last red, but a difficult cut on the brown rattled in a baulk corner pocket and stayed above the baize, and he was soon three down with four to play.

Having lost six frames in a row, Trump pulled one back with a 73 for 9-7. In frame 17, O’Sullivan made 52 before missing a red to corner with the winning line just a few pots away. Trump might have cleared but lost position on the yellow, then misjudged a safety and left it close to a baulk pocket. A full house at the Morningside Arena rose to applaud O’Sullivan as he potted the colours to secure the title.

“Judd started well, then I got back into it at 5-3 which gave me a bit of optimism. In the evening I tried to be strong mentally and kept my composure,” said O’Sullivan. “I enjoyed the battle. I have got a lot of experience having learned a lot about the game and I’m probably a better all round player than I have ever been. Judd is a warrior and for me he is favourite for Sheffield but I have three months to try to get some consistency in my game. It will be nice to go there and enjoy it. 

“Last night against Ding was a one-off, I won’t get excited about one performance, I sometimes wonder why I don’t do that more often but it’s nice to know it’s still in there. There is a sense of achievement in winning, even though I didn’t flow like I know I can today.“

Trump added: “The standard wasn’t good, but Ronnie cleared up when he needed to and won the important frames. His safety was better than mine tonight and overall he deserved to win. I had a kick on the black to go 7-7, then missed the brown in the next frame. I always enjoy playing Ronnie and I hope we play in a lot more finals.“

ROCKET REACTS TO VICTORY

And these are the pictures they shared in the above articles¹:

1. In the original articles they are presented as a slideshow, but I feel that the gallery is more adequate as all pictures are immediately visible. ↩︎