O'Sullivan has his place in history

O'Sullivan, who defeated John Higgins 18-14 in one of the best-ever Crucible finals, revealed that his father had listened to the drama on a radio in Isle of Sheppey jail.

'It's for my Dad,' said the 25-year-old from Essex. 'He means everything to me. It's for Mum, too. She has had to live with me.'

O'Sullivan also showed off publicly for the first time a new girlfriend, whom he met while being substituted in a charity football game. 'I saw her and I thought, Cor! Bianca has been great in getting me mentally stronger.'

The occasional bad boy of the baize, with a history of transgressions and depression, spoke about how his victory would represent a boost to his father, who was convicted of a stabbing offence at the same time as his son was entering the professional ranks nine years ago.

'It will mean so much to him,' added O'Sullivan. 'I love him to pieces and he loves me to bits. We have been through some hard times and this is just a special moment for the whole family. We are all together in spirit.

'Snooker is in my blood. They see the pain I go through and when I get a win like this they know what it means to me. My Dad will not show how he feels.'

O'Sullivan joked: 'I'm glad he's got at least another five-year stretch, because he will be so happy. Nothing will bring him down. I hope to see him as soon as possible and I'll talk to him in the morning if they let him on the phones.

'Even the screws love my Dad. I used to have a bit of a chip on my shoulder because I had something I loved taken away from me. But they come up to me and say he is a lovely fella.'

The May Bank holiday of 2001 will be remembered in some quarters as the day of the two Ronnies - jail for Biggs and the ultimate prize for a player whose unmatched natural talent has always been impeded by an occasionally alarming mental fragility.

In a sense, they both got their just deserts.

'I thought it was never going to happen,' said O'Sullivan. 'It is a dream come true. I have played better but I realised over the last year that there was more to winning than talent. I needed to get the mental side right.'

The scene of O'Sullivan's greatest triumph remains the scene of his biggest humiliation. Just five years ago, he was lucky not to be thrown out of the world championships after assaulting a press officer. His governing body fined him £20,000 and demanded he give half as much again to charity.

Being world champion may yet prove the strongest drug of all for the 25-year- old who in 1998 was again fined for a positive drugs test. Last year, he was admitted to The Priory Clinic, suffering from depression. His mood swings have tended to counter-balance his genius. But O'Sullivan had to over-come an even more formidable obstacle in Higgins. For two days, the Scot refused to allow the most talented player of his generation to take off into the distance.

At 14-7 late yesterday afternoon, the Rocket, a nickname covering his good points as well as the bad ones, seemed to be heading to another planet. But Higgins won four frames in a row, including the opening one of the final session. Game on. It looked like being 16-14 when 25-year- old Higgins reached 60 before missing a straightforward red into the corner pocket. His drooped head signified not resignation, but realisation.

It had been that kind of final, all attack and counter-attack - precious little in the way of defence.

Frames were won and lost by either a single mistake or a stroke of brilliance and the breaks mounted in size and frequency. Each player produced two centuries, though O'Sullivan scored the heavier, with many an 80-plus contribution.

In one spell, O'Sullivan amassed 362 points without reply. Twice he slammed home pots with such force that his chalk jumped out of his waistcoat pocket and fell to the floor.

It made for compelling viewing in a theatre which could crumble and still survive as one of the great sporting arenas.

O'Sullivan sealed victory with yet another 80. He did not bother with the black. He laid his cue on the table, raised both arms and watched the monkey on his back fall to the floor.