Ronnie O’Sullivan will set a new benchmark for career success in snooker’s Triple Crown events if he overcomes Mark Allen in the UK Championship in York on Sunday.

O’Sullivan had few problems in overpowering Tom Ford to book his place in a record seventh UK Championship decider. The 43-year-old lost the opening frame but a 122 clearance levelled matter and while there weren’t the usual fireworks thereafter, O’Sullivan coasted over the winning line as Ford floundered in some key moments.

O’Sullivan first won the UK title a quarter of a century ago as a teenager and, in recent times, he’s been almost untouchable in the Barbican. Since the 2014 UK Championship, he has won a remarkable 26 of his 27 matches with the 2016 final defeat to Mark Selby the only blot on his record.

Victory over Dafabet Masters champion Allen would take the Rocket to a record 19 tournament wins in ‘Triple Crown’ events – the World and UK Championships, and The Masters.

O’Sullivan suggested afterwards that playing semi-finals against the game’s best often brought added pressure on him and he’s happy to admit that he now likes to feel he brings that sort of challenge to his opponents.

“Tom missed a few balls, that’s what happens in big matches,” he said. “Whenever I have got to a semi-final and played the likes of Stephen Hendry, John Higgins and Mark Williams, it’s not easy.

“I like to consider myself in that bracket so maybe my opponents are feeling what I feel in those situations.”

O’Sullivan is 7.50 to defat Allen 10-5 in UK Championship final. Allen battled back from 4-2 down to defeat Stuart Bingham in their semi-final 6-5 and is 3.10 to add the UK crown to his Masters triumph from January.