Ronnie O'Sullivan lifted the Betfair World Championship trophy for a fifth and perhaps last time as he capped his comeback with Crucible glory.

Out of snooker for almost a year, the Chigwell star rolled up in Sheffield without any competitive match practice and proceeded to tear through the draw, culminating in an 18-12 triumph against surprise finalist Barry Hawkins.

Hawkins, the 34-year-old world number 14 from Kent, emerged from their tussle with huge credit, having performed terrifically well. It was comfortably the biggest match of his life and he met the challenge head on. His reward was £125,000 - more than treble the size of his previous highest pay cheque - and the respect of his opponent and the watching millions.

But O'Sullivan magisterially took the title. He did so in record-breaking style too, with his six centuries, one more than any player has managed before in a World Championship final, and with his career total of three-figure Crucible breaks now four ahead of former front-runner Stephen Hendry's haul.

Will it be his swansong to the tournament? He says so, but where O'Sullivan retirement threats go, scepticism follows. He first warned he could quit as a teenager, yet even in recent days has professed his love for snooker.

Following breaks of 103, 106, 113 and 100 on Sunday, O'Sullivan ploughed in 133 and 124 today. Only Mark Selby has made six centuries before, in a second-round match against Hendry two years ago.

In finishing off Hawkins from 15-10 ahead before Monday night's session, O'Sullivan became the first man since Hendry in 1996 to successfully defend the world title.

World champion in 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2012, the way he carved a route this time, casting aside Marcus Campbell, Ali Carter, Stuart Bingham and Judd Trump, has perfectly exhibited the staggering natural ability that puts him head and shoulders above his rivals when in the mood.

Thankfully Hawkins pushed him, bringing the very best out of The Rocket. At 7-7 on Sunday night, after a break of 133 from Hawkins, O'Sullivan responded with back-to-back centuries and a long black to take the last frame of the night to lead 10-7 rather than 9-8.

Hawkins began the closing session with a total clearance of 127, trebling in the black, and added the next with a run of 66, but O'Sullivan rattled in 77 to move two frames away, and an 88 before the mid-session interval brought the silverware within touching distance. The standard was sky high from his cue, and it remained so.