LONDON: Ronnie O`Sullivan won seven frames in a row to recover from a 5-2 deficit against Australia`s Neil Robertson and win the Welsh Open final 9-5 in Cardiff on Sunday.

Five-times world champion O`Sullivan, who courted controversy earlier in the tournament by refusing to complete a 147 break because he felt the cash prize for a maximum was too low, sealed a fourth Welsh Open title with a superb total clearance of 141.

Afterwards the 40-year-old said he intended to mark his victory by taking time out from snooker until the World Championships in Sheffield, northern England, in April.

`I feel shattered I need a month of just relaxing to recharge the batteries and try to give Sheffield a good push because that`s the one everyone wants,` O`Sullivan said.

`My cue will just be chilling out for a few months,` the Englishman added. O`Sullivan, who won the invitational Masters event in London last month, was full of praise for Robertson and said the Australian left-hander, world champion in 2010, remained the man to beat.

`Neil has been the best player all season his game`s really improved so much. He played probably at 75 or 80 percent today and he`s definitely the best player in the world at the moment.

`I`m just pleased to have been able to compete with him.

Neil had his chances but I`m just glad I managed to keep hanging in there.`-AFP