The 46-year-old joins Stephen Hendry, also a seven-time world champion, on the list of snooker players - a variant of billiards - having won the most world titles in the modern era.

In the final, Ronnie "Rocket" O'Sullivan defeated 2019 world champion Judd Trump 18-13, who called him the "greatest player of all time" after the game.

© 2022 AFP