“I’ve said it there’s nobody in the game who has got more respect than I’ve got for Ronnie. The best ever.
“So for me to beat the best ever tonight, it’s a brilliant feather in my cap. Brilliant. It’s the best week I’ve ever had.
“I’ve won world titles and different tournaments but for the whole week, the way I’ve felt, the calibre of players I’ve come up against, I’ve managed to win quite convincingly.
“It’s not really like me to do that. Now normally I’d be scrapping it out, final frame deciders and the like.
“But this week I’ve done like a Ronnie, I’ve been through the field pretty easy. It’s a brilliant feeling, a brilliant feeling.”
Despite his emphatic loss, O’Sullivan did at least manage a seven-minute break of 144 – the highest of the tournament to pocket £10,000, denying Barry Hawkins the bonus prize.