In 1997, Davis, then 39, made a super comeback after falling behind 4-8 to beat 21-year-old supernova O'Sullivan 10-8.
文/Hector Nunns，The Sportsman
It was O'Sullivan's third consecutive Masters final, having beaten John Higgins in 1995 to win his first Masters title and a year later to then-world Number One Stephen Hendry. However, this will be the last bright spot in Davis' brilliant career. After winning six World Championship titles in the 1980s, Davis had only won at the Welsh Open two years earlier before the final of the 1997 Masters.
In that final, O'Sullivan was in excellent shape at the start of the game, taking a 2-0 lead with consecutive breaks, and O'Sullivan's fiery form could not help but make opponent Davis worry whether this would be a rout.
But then the 22-year-old Liane Crofts stripped naked and jumped into the court for a famous scene that seemed to distract O'Sullivan, allowing Davis to chase the score to 4-4 at the end of the first stage.
Recalling that famous third inning, Davis said, "At the beginning of that inning, I screwed up a few shots. I had just finished playing an Anglo and when I walked back in my chair, I was still annoyed by the bad situation of that game. ”
"Suddenly, I heard exclamations from the crowd and realized that something terrible might have happened. I tried to keep myself calm, so I didn't even look up. ”
"My later statement was that I didn't even see her face, let alone anything else! They chased her away, and then I looked up and saw only that the security guards had put on a coat for her. ”
"There was actually an interesting moment after that, when Ronnie wiped his eyebrows for then-match referee John Streettt. Ronnie has comedic cells and he can do that. ”
But the accident seemed to interrupt his brilliant play. Of course, maybe it's just a coincidence, maybe it's not. But I almost finished the first stage 1 after 1:7. ”
"In terms of what happened, it seemed to me to reopen the door to victory. Luck began to favor me again, and after I managed to win the next round, the feel kept coming. ”
Despite O'Sullivan's fiery form in the first half being abruptly interrupted, he regained his composure in the late season, leading 8-4 in four consecutive innings in the opening 49 minutes of the evening. But Davis, as he had always done in the past, won three consecutive innings with a gorgeous 130-point breaker to close the score to 7:8 and win the eighteenth inning.
Recalling his third Masters title, Davis said: "People who are behind by big scores are always less stressed to catch up. ”
"If we had ten chances to play that final, Ronnie would probably have won nine, and I would have won only once. On that occasion, it was as if God was on my side. ”
Ronnie in 1997 may not have figured out his position and tactics. I did play a set of old-fashioned tactics that made it as difficult as possible to score. ”
"My career was particularly tough in the '90s and it felt like it was coming to an end, so winning the Masters '97 was an absolutely wonderful moment in my career. It was also the last major I won, adding a touch of light to the bleakness of the nineties. ”
Davis continued to compete professionally, but did not win any of the "big three" titles until he announced his retirement after the 2016 World Championships 19 years later. Davis also has a great deal of respect for O'Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams, who are still winning and winning titles in their 40s.
Davis said: "I think we all know how amazingly talented Ronnie is, but the only part that people can't predict is that he actually has a fantastic racing temperament. We all hoped and insisted that he might be mentally vulnerable, but he became stronger around 2000. ”
"Suddenly, it was discovered that he was not only one of the most jaw-dropping snooker geniuses we've ever seen, but also rock solid and steady in the race when necessary."
"Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams have demonstrated with strength that the age barrier is not as big as we think. Maybe only Stephen (Hendry) and I struggle a bit after 40. Now it's clear that as long as your mental and physical condition can withstand the stress of a professional game, you can move on. ”
"An interesting question is, how far can these three people go? I do think O'Sullivan is most likely to go the furthest, and if he wants to, winning a world championship in his 50s isn't a fantasy either. ”