Snooker: O'Sullivan powers game into '21st century'

Ronnie O'Sullivan has described winning the inaugural Power Snooker tournament at London's O2 on Saturday as "probably the one [trophy] I've enjoyed the most". The three-times world champion is the figurehead of the new format, which is part of plans to make snooker more popular with television audiences after years of decline.

O'Sullivan won the £35,000 prize after defeating Ding Junhui 572-258 in the final. The format, which has a 20-second shot clock and opportunities for double and quadruple point-scoring, is perfectly suited to O'Sullivan's gifts and he will be central to its promotion and growth.

"Finally snooker has come into the 21st century," O'Sullivan said. "We've been kicking behind for a few years while everyone else has been going forward. Power Snooker is a new format that is definitely here to stay."