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O'Sullivan: World title number three was not my best

06/05/2008

Ronnie O'Sullivan has claimed winning his third world title at the Crucible was a relief after an 'uncomfortable' victory over Ali Carter.

The Rocket collected a cheque for £328,500 after taking the world championship - and for a 147 maximum break earlier in the tournament - but said his 18-8 victory felt "strange".

"I'm relieved more than anything else," he remarked.

"The best I felt was during the first three frames and the last two frames."

O'Sullivan completed seven century breaks during his 17-6 semi-final defeat of seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry but managed only one against 28-year-old Carter.

And O'Sullivan, 32, said his pre-existing friendship with Carter might have been to blame for a series of uncharacteristic errors during the final.

"Everybody expected me to blow him away," he told BBC Sport.

"The problem was that I practised with Ali during our teens, so I know his game inside out and he knows my game. Sometimes it's difficult to play well because you know what they're capable of."

Despite a victory which saw him joining Hendry and Steve Davis as three-time world championship winners, O'Sullivan seemed reluctant to take the plaudits for another title triumph.

"I didn't play fantastically well," he claimed. "Even though I had the big lead I never really felt that comfortable.

"I was winning three and he was winning one but having that big lead did not put me at ease."

O'Sullivan had begun the second day with an 11-5 lead which he extended to seven frames in the afternoon session and later to 14-6 after a brief Carter comeback.

But the Rocket added: "The scoreboard was never in my mind because I was trying to get my own game up to a higher standard."