# 2018 UK Championship
The 2018 [UK Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/uk-championship) (officially the 2018 Betway UK Championship) was a professional ranking snooker tournament held from 27 November to 9 December 2018 at the [Barbican Centre](https://www.edgepedia.org/barbican-centre) in York, England, won by [Ronnie O'Sullivan](https://www.edgepedia.org/ronnie-osullivan), who beat Mark Allen 10-6 in the final to claim a record seventh UK title.[1](https://matchstats.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=729) • [2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46501187) It was the ninth ranking event of the 2018-19 season.[3](https://www.tntsports.co.uk/snooker/uk-championship/2018-2019/snooker-news-uk-championship-2018-order-of-play-and-results_sto7024857/story.shtml)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates and venue | 27 November – 9 December 2018, Barbican Centre, York, England[1](https://matchstats.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=729) |
| Status | Ranking event, the ninth of the 2018-19 season[3](https://www.tntsports.co.uk/snooker/uk-championship/2018-2019/snooker-news-uk-championship-2018-order-of-play-and-results_sto7024857/story.shtml) |
| Champion | Ronnie O'Sullivan, a record seventh UK Championship title[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46501187) |
| Final | O'Sullivan 10-6 Mark Allen (best of 19 frames)[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46078319) |
| Highest break | 145, Stuart Bingham against David Gilbert, third round[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46078319) |
| Defending champion | O'Sullivan, who had won the 2017 final 10-5 against Shaun Murphy[1](https://matchstats.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=729) • [5](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/ronnie-o-sullivan-shaun-murphy-snooker-uk-championship-a8102746.html) |
| Significance | O'Sullivan's 19th major title, a record in the Triple Crown events[6](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2018/dec/09/ronnie-osullivan-v-mark-allen-uk-championship-snooker-final-live) |
## The final
O'Sullivan defeated Allen 10-6 in the final on 9 December 2018, played over two sessions at the Barbican.[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46501187) The BBC's frame-by-frame record shows O'Sullivan taking the opening frames with breaks including 101, 85, and a 120 built from runs of 54 and 66, while Allen's best contributions included a 105 century and a 144 clearance of 72 and 68.[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46078319)
O'Sullivan controlled the second session. According to [Sky Sports](https://www.edgepedia.org/sky-sports), he took the first frame of the evening with ease to move 7-2 ahead, and although Allen responded well, he only stopped his opponent's streak at six frames.[7](https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/snooker/news/12243/11576778/osullivan-wins-record-seventh-uk-crown)
## O'Sullivan's route to the title
O'Sullivan entered as defending champion and came through the knockout rounds with heavy scoring. In the quarter-finals he beat fellow Englishman Martin O'Donnell 6-1, with breaks of 102, 81, and 106 in the frames he won.[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46078319) In the semi-finals he beat [Tom Ford](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-ford) 6-1, including a 122 break in the second frame.[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46078319)
The title carried several records. It was O'Sullivan's seventh UK Championship, breaking the record of six he had shared with [Steve Davis](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-davis) after his 2017 win over Murphy.[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46501187) • [5](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/ronnie-o-sullivan-shaun-murphy-snooker-uk-championship-a8102746.html) The Guardian described it as his 19th major title, making him the most successful player of all time in the [Triple Crown](https://www.edgepedia.org/triple-crown-snooker) events, which comprise the UK Championship, the World Championship, and the Masters.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2018/dec/09/ronnie-osullivan-v-mark-allen-uk-championship-snooker-final-live) It was also his 34th ranking event win, and made him the first player since [Stephen Hendry](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-hendry) in 1996 to successfully defend the UK title.[8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOeDTDzBuiY)
The victory capped a strong 2018-19 season to that point. Earlier in the season O'Sullivan had won the invitational Shanghai Masters in September, becoming the first snooker player to pass £10 million in career prize money, and had also won the Champion of Champions event in Coventry.[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46501187)
## Mark Allen's run
Allen, the world number seven from [Northern Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-ireland), arrived in York in good form after winning the International Championship the previous month.[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46501187) On the way to the final he defeated former world champions [Neil Robertson](https://www.edgepedia.org/neil-robertson) and [Stuart Bingham](https://www.edgepedia.org/stuart-bingham).[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46501187) His semi-final against Bingham was the closest match of the late rounds, a 6-5 win in which Bingham made breaks including 132 and 104.[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46078319)
## The rest of the field
The other quarter-finals were all decided 6-1 or 6-2. Joe Perry lost 2-6 to Tom Ford, despite a 121 break; [Stephen Maguire](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-maguire) lost 1-6 to Allen, whose breaks included a 122; and [Kyren Wilson](https://www.edgepedia.org/kyren-wilson) lost 1-6 to Stuart Bingham, who made a 120 and a 134 in the match.[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46078319)
The tournament's highest break, 145, came in the third round, made by Stuart Bingham against David Gilbert.[4](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46078319)
## Context within the UK Championship
The UK Championship has been a ranking event since 1984 and has been held at the Barbican Centre in York since 2011, with the 2018 edition following the 2017 final in which O'Sullivan beat [Shaun Murphy](https://www.edgepedia.org/shaun-murphy) 10-5 to equal Steve Davis's six titles and Stephen Hendry's 18 Triple Crown titles.[9](https://www.trophyroom.co.uk/ukchampionshipsnooker.html) • [5](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/ronnie-o-sullivan-shaun-murphy-snooker-uk-championship-a8102746.html) The 2018 result moved O'Sullivan past both marks.[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46501187) • [6](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2018/dec/09/ronnie-osullivan-v-mark-allen-uk-championship-snooker-final-live)
## References
1. [Betway UK Championship (2018), snooker.org match stats](https://matchstats.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=729)
2. [UK Championship: Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Mark Allen to win seventh title, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46501187)
3. [UK Championship 2018: Order of play and results, TNT Sports](https://www.tntsports.co.uk/snooker/uk-championship/2018-2019/snooker-news-uk-championship-2018-order-of-play-and-results_sto7024857/story.shtml)
4. [UK Championship 2018: Full tournament results, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/46078319)
5. [Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Shaun Murphy to claim sixth UK Championship, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/ronnie-o-sullivan-shaun-murphy-snooker-uk-championship-a8102746.html)
6. [Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Mark Allen to win record seventh UK Championship, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2018/dec/09/ronnie-osullivan-v-mark-allen-uk-championship-snooker-final-live)
7. [O'Sullivan wins record seventh UK Championship crown, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/snooker/news/12243/11576778/osullivan-wins-record-seventh-uk-crown)
8. [Ronnie O'Sullivan's Performance at the Snooker UK Championship 2018, Home of Snooker (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOeDTDzBuiY)
9. [UK Championship Snooker, Trophy Room](https://www.trophyroom.co.uk/ukchampionshipsnooker.html)
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