Snooker great Ronnie O'Sullivan became the first player to make 1,000 career century breaks after defending his Players Championship title with a 10-4 victory over Australia's Neil Robertson in Sunday's final in Preston.

Five-time world champion O'Sullivan had started the week on 994 career centuries and added two more in the opening rounds without managing a century break in a 6-0 semi-final rout of Mark Allen.

But, having made two more hundreds in the final to take his tally to 999 he finished with a flourish when, at 9-4 up against Robertson, he completed a successful title defense in style.

O'Sullivan, nicknamed the 'Rocket' for his speed around the table, even had time to tease his fans by stopping his cue going through on 99 before potting the red that saw him to a landmark century with his left hand.

He eventually made a break of 134 before potting the white after sinking the black to prevent a total of 141.

"I just played really, really well. I played well all week, but I played brilliantly today and to cap it off with 1,000 centuries is great," O'Sullivan told ITV 4.

"I suppose to me, it's just what I do since I was seven or eight, playing snooker, potting balls – I love the game. But to share it with the fans in Preston and any snooker fans, Preston are just lucky that it was here tonight," the Englishman added after winning his 35th career title.