I'm sure you're as excited watching at home as we are here." In typical fashion, the 100th point of his 1000th century was secured left-handed, and O'Sullivan - to continued, rapturous applause - went on to clear the table fully, even the white finding its way to the pocket to deny what would've been a 141. Some were more successful than others but they became regular faces on the circuit. Ronnie O'Sullivan on whether he's just created the greatest sporting documentary of all time after giving it the fairytale ending. While anarchy reigned on the big screen, another Scotsman was at the peak of his powers, monopolising TV time as he swept all before him. pic.twitter.com/l31qIFsXDp, Ronnie O'Sullivan wins his match 10-1 in 108 minutes. He represented his nation at the highest level of a hugely popular sport with distinction, winning 36 ranking tournaments including seven World Championships. Due tohis early success, Hendry earned the nickname The Golden Boy. His continued dominance led him to also become known as The Ice Man and The King of the Crucible. Even though he failed to defend his world championship title in 1991, Hendry struck back the following year, taking down White once again in the final of the 1992 World Snooker Championship. O'Sullivan's longevity at the top is almost as remarkable as his breathtaking standard of play and his mind-boggling collection of records, titles and century milestones. All 12 of the Crucible 147 breaks in multiscreen ranked by speed.Ronnie O'Sullivan's unbreakable record is only challenged by his second maximum while @nr147 is the new entry at number eight. Hendry has the longest unbeaten streak in ranking tournament play, winning 36 consecutive matches in 1990 and 1991. "For me - and I've said it since 1990 - he's the greatest player ever to lift a snooker cue. Stephen Hendry proceeded to defend his title for the following four years. Hendry himself did not rule out someone overtaking his record eventually, even if the odds are against it. O'Sullivan stands on 69 wins from 92 matches played between 1993 and 2021. O'Sullivan's sixth world title came on his 28th appearance in a row here, and during the final he played his 1,847th Crucible frame to creep past the record previously set by Hendry of 1,846. A ranking tournament is one that counts towards snooker's world rankings, which were introduced in the 1976-77 season. "It's been an unbelievable career," Taylor told BBC Radio 5 live. Interviews over a few. Ronnie's reply"I'm never going to be good at getting out of snookers. The 53-year-old Scotsman won 70 matches from 90 played at the Crucible between 1986 and 2012 when he appeared 27 times and lifted the world trophy on seven occasions in 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999. From 1992 until his defeat by Ken Doherty in the 1997 World Championship final, he won 29 consecutive matches at the Crucible, a modern-era record. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 1999 Welsh Open v James Wattana, 3. One of snookers all-time greats Scotlands Stephen Hendry remains the player with the most World Championship titles to his name in the modern era following his record seven Crucible crowns won from 1990-1999. While his Triple Crown success dried up for a few years, O'Sullivan was still building his tally of ranking and non-ranking titles and it surely seemed just a matter of time before he'd finally go all the way on the biggest stage of all. His tour card was subsequently renewed for another two seasons.. 'Feels amazing' Higgins ends 13-month title drought by retaining Championship League crown, Watch Robertson produce magic as Trump leads final Championship League group. Four months later he'd bring a packed house to their feet yet again with his third maximum break of the season and his third at the Crucible. Ronnie O'Sullivan had not yet turned 18 but he'd already earned his nickname 'The Rocket' after winning a best-of-nine frame encounter in a record-breaking 43 minutes during his debut professional season (1992-93), in which he'd also claimed a maiden non-ranking title and qualified for his first World Championship, where he lost 10-7 to Alan McManus. After losing to Stephen Maguire in the quarterfinal of the 2012 World Snooker Championship, Hendry announced his retirement, stating that he was dissatisfied with his ability to maintain an acceptably high level of competition. Stephen . He claimed the number one ranking in 1990 and held it until White defeated him at the world championship in 1998. Unseen footage: OSullivan breaks down in tears as seventh world title sinks in, 'I hated it' - O'Sullivan on why he did not enjoy winning seventh world title. "Steve Davis: "Have you got any left? Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. He said: "I think it meant more to him than it does to me, to have seven world titles. Just 16 when he joined the circuit, he was completely driven from the start. Evans slams 'disgusting' prize money in women's snooker as Baipat claims world title. The record was previously set by Stephen Hendry back in 1999. No player since Hendry in 1996 had retained the trophy while his 128th Crucible century during the 18-12 triumph over Barry Hawkins saw him move past the Scotsman's all-time record. 2005: Wins his 36th and most recent ranking title at the Malta Cup. The rate at which he's been losing his records hasnt been lost on Hendry, who was teased by Hazel Irvine and Steve Davis while on punditry duty about OSullivan potentially reaching 16 centuries at a single World Championship. This maximum in an exhibition against Reanne Evans last year is also well worth a watch. OSullivan has already ticked off the other major records Hendry held including most Triple Crown wins and most ranking tournament titles. O'Sullivan came into the Masters on the back of losing the UK Championship final to Mark Selby but bounced back with wins over Liang Wenbo (6-5), Neil Robertson (6-3) and Marco Fu (6-4) before successfully defending his crown with a 10-7 triumph over Joe Perry. Perhaps it had to if he was to avoid serious burnout. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Four years later, he turned professional. **Hendry resumed playing in 2021 after nine years out, but his future on the tour is unclear. The following season, he successfully defended that title and won the World Doubles Championship with partner Mike Hallett. He has the record for most century breaks during a tournament, scoring 16 centuries during the 2002 World Snooker Championship. Remarkably, just like against Selby, this would be a match-winning 147 as he beat Mark Williams 13-7 in round two before seeing off Liang Wenbo (13-7) and Stephen Hendry (17-6) to reach the final. These days, he is playing not just against the new players but his own past, judged by the performances of his pomp and suffering in comparison. Stephen Hendry with his now girlfriend of four years Lauren Thundow The couple first launched a bid to build more homes on the site in 2008 and later won planning permission. At 53, it is surely impossible for Hendry to recapture former glories. He's going to be winning this a few times and the other guys better get their act together. We look back at his 28 years of astonishing milestones, achievements statistics, maximum breaks, and fan-pleasing antics. The winner of this weeks Scottish Open receives the Stephen Hendry trophy. Ronnie O'Sullivan has won more ranking titles in snooker than any other player, just ahead of Stephen Hendry. Tai Chengzhe/Visual China Group via Getty Images. Fellow Glaswegian Anthony McGill has won two and Edinburghs Chris Small, forced to retire in 2005 due to a chronic back condition, one. Discovery company. He retired as a player following a 13-2 loss to fellow Scot, He last played a competitive match on the main tour in November, losing 6-1 to. While many had given the enigmatic Rocket GOAT status on talent grounds long before hed surpassed Stephen Hendrys records for most ranking titles (36) and Triple Crowns (18) due to the countless moments of unfathomable genius and blockbusting entertainment hed treated us to since bursting onto the scene in 1993, the statistics have now landed the knockout blow. His seventh and final World Snooker Championship title in 1999 set a record for most of all timea record which he held solely until Ronnie OSullivan tied the record with his 2022 championship win. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Mon Oct 15 2018 - 13:17. Once it happened, it was almost kind of a relief, said Hendry. There, the Rocket punished Mark Selby 10-4 but the Jester would of course get his revenge in the World Championship final later that season. There are some young prospects in Scotland, but not in the numbers of 30 years ago. Higgins was also 19 and just like O'Sullivan 12 months earlier, came through a qualifying event ranked 51 in the world. Stephen Hendry, (born January 13, 1969, Edinburgh, Scotland), Scottish snooker player who won a record seven world titles and dominated the game throughout the 1990s. He declared the match over when missing a red in frame six despite leading 24-0 at the time and although he later apologised to Hendry and his fans, O'Sullivan was fined 20,800 for his actions. Hendrys seven world titles all came during his dominant spell in the 1990s, which also included eight consecutive seasons as world No. Hendry has always known that sole ownership of the sports most prestigious record was on borrowed time and recently insisted it would be an honour to share it with the player who stunned him as a 17-year-old in the 1993 UK Championship final. 1996: Fifth consecutive world title comes with final victory over Peter Ebdon. 1995: Beats Nigel Bond in the World Championship final. All these matches are part of the process, and getting me comfortable in arenas again. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2014 Welsh Open - Ding Junhui, 13. Davis, who lost the 1989 and 1990 UK Championship finals to Hendry, continued: "In a way I feel that it's quite a sad day for me. He set a professional snooker record by scoring 556 unanswered points in a 6-0 quarter-final victory over Ricky Walden in 58 minutes and went on to reach his 10th final in the event - breaking Hendry's previous best of nine. He shares the record for most World Snooker Championship wins with Ronnie OSullivan: both have seven titles. 2014 UK Championship Final: Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Judd Trump DECIDER! In contrast, OSullivan has won his Crucible crowns over more than two decades, with his first coming in 2001 and his latest in 2022. Stephen Hendry has opted out of entering the 2022 World Snooker Championship qualifiers only 12 months after returning following a nine-year absence. For good measure Hendry also spent a recordbreaking nine years as world No 1, ahead of. SUBSCRIBE for the biggest and best videos from the only official World Snooker channel on YouTubeWebsite: www.wst.tvTwitter: @WeAreWSTFacebook: /WorldSnooker. All rights reserved. As a seven-time World Champion, Hendry is the most successful player in the modern era of the World Snooker Championship and holds the record for the most seasons as world number one. He has won 36 full-ranking titles to date, including 18 Triple Crown titles bettered only by OSullivan as well as having compiled 11 maximum breaks during his career. Ronnie O'Sullivan makes a maximum break 147 in 6 min on first frame! "Hendry: "Well he can't become the youngest world champion"Davis: "But he is playing like Benjamin Button." Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed a record-breaking seventh UK Championship title with a 10-6 victory over Mark Allen at the York Barbican. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2000 Scottish Open v Quinten Hann, 5. He turned professional the following year, and when he won the Grand Prix in 1987, he became the youngest player to win a tournament. O'Sullivan was riding on a crest of a wave by the end of the year and after edging out Peter Ebdon 9-8 in the quarter-finals and Mark Williams 9-6 in the semis, the Rocket destroyed Ken Doherty 10-1 to land his third UK title. He repeated as world champ from 1992 to 1996. Having enlisted the help of six-time world champion Ray Reardon to rediscover his magic, he battled past Stephen Maguire (10-6) and Andy Hicks (13-11) before imperiously wiping the floor with Anthony Hamilton (13-3) and Stephen Hendry (17-4) with sessions to spare, while his 18-8 hammering of Graeme Dott was pretty brutal too as he returned to the top of the world rankings, where he'd stay for the next two seasons. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2001 LG Cup - Drew Hendry, 6. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. O'Sullivan set up another instalment of his budding rivalry with Mark Selby after beating Joe Perry (6-5), Ali Carter (6-2) and Stephen Maguire (6-1) and he'd edge another titanic tussle between the pair 10-8 to claim his fourth Masters title. However, given the varying format changes in the tournament's early life, most records in the sport are now taken from the period beginning 1969, when the knockout format at the world championship was reintroduced. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 1997 World Championship v Mick Price, 2. On either side of this triumph, he appeared in two other Crucible finals. He has played only a handful of events and found victories hard to come by. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is. After being ranked number one in the world for eight consecutive seasons, he lost the top spot with a first-round loss in the 1998 world championship. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is Joe Davis, who won 15 consecutive titles from 1927 to 1946. Hendry had observed Steve Davis aloofness, the way he set himself apart from his rivals. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. Ronnie O'Sullivan's first TV appearance aged just 14 in 1990, making a break of 75. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is. The 53-year-old, who first lifted the famous trophy aged 21, quipped: "Well he cant become the youngest world champion, not even Ronnie can do that., Davis replied: But he is playing like Benjamin Button.. His five match wins during this edition took him to 74 Crucible victories, four more than one of other Hendrys few remaining records. In his Masters quarter-final against Marco Fu, Ronnie O'Sullivan fired in his 776th career century, taking him one . The Rocket not only equalled Steve Davis' record of six UK titles by defeating Shaun Murphy 10-5 but he also moved level with Stephen Hendry on 18 Triple Crown triumphs. . John Higgins has won four and is good enough to win another four; it is hard to say.". His all-time leading tally of 20 Triple Crowns, which also consists of seven UK Championships and seven Masters, is now two more than what Hendry achieved in his legendary career, although the Scotsman condensed his 18 (7 worlds, 5 UKs & 6 Masters) into a formidable 10-year spell from 1989 to 1999. McManus would win the Masters itself in 1994. On that occasion he was thrashed 5-1 by Dennis Taylor in the wildcard round but this was a completely different story, overcoming John Parrott, Terry Griffiths and Peter Ebdon prior to a 9-3 triumph over fellow teenage sensation John Higgins. That year he won the Dubai Classic, the Asian Open, the Scottish Masters, the UK Championship, and the Masters. MORE:Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? After winning his first World Championship in 1990, he became the youngest player ever to lift the title at 21. "You could still have business interests and still play, but he's chosen not to. Steve Davis says he cannot imagine anyone bettering Stephen Hendry's tally of seven World Championship titles. A year after John Higgins got his revenge in the 2006 final with a nail-biting 10-9 that went down to the black, O'Sullivan broke the heart of 19-year-old sensation Ding Junhui with a resounding 10-3 triumph featuring four Rocket centuries, including a fine clearance of 143. It was the eighth maximum of his career and he followed it up by thrashing Stephen Maguire 10-2 for his fourth UK title. To be fair, Hendry had done everything to lower expectations. However, given the varying format changes in the tournament's early life, most records in the sport are now taken from the period beginning 1969, when the knockout format at the world championship was reintroduced. Hendry holds the record for the most seasons as the no.1 player; he was ranked no.1 for nine seasons. "Its just a number at the end of the day, I dont get too caught up with it to be honest with you.". By now, those he had inspired had become good in their own right, and so a decline began which ended in his retirement in 2012 at the age of 43. #snooker #bbcsnooker pic.twitter.com/dgKOL1QXhs, Ronnie O'Sullivan doing this to trail Mark Selby 16-14 in a World Championship semi-final but still ends up winning 17-16 in a match of the ages. Maybe not that night, because there's still a little bit of sadness that he equalled my record. Twelve months earlier, the Rocket hit the headlines for the wrong reasons at the Barbican when forfeiting his quarter-final against Stephen Hendry when trailing 4-1 in the first to nine frames. The year was 1996. In 2020, Hendry accepted a tour card for the World Snooker Tour, indicating his return to professional play. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. Davis, 54, beat Hendry in the 1989 World Championship semi-finals en route to winning his last title at the Crucible, with Scotsman Hendry turning the tables at the same stage five years later. 1 ranking for a period in 2005. Stephen Hendry has been one of the most successful snooker players in recent history and is widely regarded as one of the best to ever play the game.Tied with Ronnie OSullivan at seven titles apiece, no one has won more World Snooker Championships in the modern era than Hendry.Keep reading to find out all about his background and career, as well as what the snooker superstar is up to today. "I can't see Stephen changing his mind; once he decides on something, that's it. His youth made him a relatable figure to youngsters everywhere, but especially in Scotland. Until 1982, only the world championship counted as a ranking event; two others the International Open and the Professional Players Tournament were then added, as was the UK Championship in 1984. Following the 1996 world championship, Hendrys play slipped. O'Sullivan has always played down his pursuit of the record and maintained that stance in his post-match press conference. Earlier in the tournament he'd beaten Marcus Campbell (10-4), Ali Carter (13-8), Stuart Bingham (13-4) and Judd Trump 17-11. History repeated itself three years on from his maiden world title in the sense he'd suffered a first-round exit 12 months earlier, this time against Marco Fu despite firing in a 147 break. It takes too much time practicing getting out of snookers, I'd rather practice break building." He's an absolutely wonderful snooker player.. At 20, he captured the Masters and UK Championship, and at 21 was crowned the youngest ever world champion. All rights reserved. When the 96/97 season began, there were nine Scots ranked inside the top 64 and plenty more coming up on the rails. "It's been an unbelievable career," Taylor told. Stream the Scottish Open and more top snooker action live on, 'Feels amazing' Higgins ends 13-month title drought by retaining Championship League crown, Zhao and Yan to miss World Championship ahead of match-fixing hearing. Stephen Hendry: Key records Ranking title wins: 36 World titles: 7 UK titles: 5 Masters titles: 6 Crucible match wins: 70 Crucible win percentage: 77.78% Career win percentage: 68.54%. Once again, Hendry was setting records, with an unprecedented seventh world title. From March 1990 to January 1991, Hendry won 5 straight titles and 36 consecutive matches to post the longest unbeaten string in the sports history. He'd previously brushed aside Dott (6-3), Ding Junhui (6-2) and Jimmy White (6-1) as he continued to dazzle the crowds. "One thing you never stop missing as a sportsman is the buzz you get from a crowd. Just by being here as world number one no less the Romford man was setting a record for most consecutive Crucible appearances with 30, a tally that is level with Steve Davis overall record. As the Scottish Open begins in Edinburgh, its worth remembering that this had not always been the case. While his comments about needing to lose one arm to drop out of the world's top 50 were still going viral, it looked as though he'd bow out when supposedly playing recklessly against Mark Selby in the semi-final. Last week, he was thrashed 5-0 by Matthew Stevens in the German Masters qualifiers. Even before his victory, O'Sullivan was already considered by many to be the greatest player of all time not least because of the number of ranking titles he has collected during his storied 30-year career. Evans slams 'disgusting' prize money in women's snooker as Baipat claims world title. Stephen Gordon Hendry was born on January 13, 1969, in South Queensferry, Scotland. "The ultimate goal is to play one more match at the Crucible. To be the best was all he had ever wanted. He won 12 frames in a row against the Scotsman, who was beaten with a session to spare, and didn't give Ali Carter much of a look in either, triumphing 18-8. Who set these standards? believes Hendry's achievements mark him out as the stand-out player in the sport's history. Maybe they need another talisman to look up to, but the Hendrys of this world are rare. Ronnie O'Sullivan records 776th century to break Stephen Hendry's record. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. A series of records fell in his wake. Later Career The result gained revenge from losing a deciding frame in that year's Charity Challenge final, in which Hendry scored an iconic maximum break. Ronnie O'Sullivan's 18-13 win over Judd Trump at the Crucible Theatre in the World Snooker Championship final in 2022 earned him the biggest prize in the sport for a record-equalling seventh time. Hendry says he had an unusual feeling when. Ronnie OSullivan registered the 1000th century break of his extraordinary career to win the final of the 2019 Players Championship. 1 spot in the world rankings for the first time. Ronnie OSullivan is the greatest snooker player of all time. pic.twitter.com/K1gRIJLnz9, Mark Selby thought Ronnie O'Sullivan's cavalier approach to getting out of his snookers was disrespectful. Rocket Ronnie's 30 years at Crucible O'Sullivan set to pass another Hendry record, 'Crucible return is ultimate goal' Hendry ready to continue playing, Age winning first ranking title: 18 (1987 Grand Prix), Age winning first world title: 21 (1990 World Championship), Age winning last ranking title: 36 (2005 Malta Cup). His top break of 141 was the highest in a World Championship final, beating O'Sullivan's previous best mark of 139 in 2001. Discovery company. What TV channel is 2022 World Snooker Championship final? He was employed on a lucrative contract promoting cue sports in China and enjoyed punditry and leisure time spent playing golf, but nothing can compare with the thrill of competition. I'm enjoying the process.". At 46 years and 146 days, the oldest ever world champion has most ranking titles (39), most Triple Crowns (21), most UK Championships (7), most Masters titles (7), most career centuries (1,170) and most maximum breaks (15), including the fastest ever made. The only trophies Hendry has ever wanted to handle are the ones he has won. Earlier breaks of 116 and 105 had moved OSullivan onto 999 and any speculation that he would wait for the World Championship to reach a thousand was ended with a sumptuous 134. Enjoy. "It was a mixture of embarrassment, anger, frustration, sadness, everything," Stephen Hendry says as he remembers how his dominance of snooker unravelled into, in his mind . The circuit currently boasts only eight Scottish professionals. Joe is a sub-editor for Sporting News UK. The Scot finished as the year-end rankings leader for eight seasons in a row from 1989/90 to 1996/97. He had 24 hours to decide whether to take it and he could not resist. 20 Scots have so far competed in the Crucible stage of the World Championship. He has played a partial schedule in 2021 and 2022, never making it past the second round of a tournament. The groan of appreciation from Stephen Hendry accompanies it perfectly. His swashbuckling professional career spanning 28 glorious years has taken snooker fans to mesmerising heights and even at the age of 44, his continued brilliance and popularity across all generations is keeping him very much at the forefront of the sport. Final report: Ronnie O'Sullivan 18-8 Kyren Wilson, CLICK HERE FOR EVERY 147 BREAK IN SNOOKER HISTORY, WATCH ALL THE CRUCIBLE MAXIMUM BREAKS IN HISTOR, Richard Mann's story of the snooker season, Sporting Life exclusive: Neil Robertson interview, Nick Metcalfe on a decade of World Championship finals, World Championship memories: White always a People's Champion, World Championship memories: O'Sullivan's finest hour, World Championship memories: Higgins prevails but Trump grows, World Championship memories: Joe Johnson: The biggest shock, World Championship memories: 1984 World Championship stands out, World Championship: 6 (2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020), UK Championship: 7* (1993, 1997, 2001, 2007, 2014, 2017, 2018), Masters: 7* (1995, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017), Century breaks: 1,061* (179 at Crucible*). Ronnie O'Sullivan's legendary status reached yet another level when breaking the ranking title record of 36 that he'd previously shared with Stephen Hendry by landing the biggest of the lot for the sixth time. Never, ever a dull moment watching Ronnie.pic.twitter.com/wIryNNsPha, Trying to get Ronnie O'Sullivan enthused about the excitement and romance of his own storylines is a tough gig. Career Total Statistics Tournament Record Most Frequent Opponents Rounds Reached Century Frequency Centuries per Season Graph Ranking History Prize Money History. The record was previously set by Stephen Hendry back in 1999. Although Stephen Hendry officially retired following the 2012 World Snooker Championship, he announced he would be returning to the World Snooker Tour in 2020.Hendry has competed in a partial schedule during 2021 and 2022. This year he made the back pages for making amends in majestic fashion by compiling a breathtaking 147 break in the deciding frame of his semi-final with Mark Selby. "Hopefully, if I can keep getting better and keep improving, my technique becomes reliable and I can get to a better pace, then next year will be the goal to get back to the Crucible," he said after his win over old foe White last year. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy - Ali Carter, 8. Unlike White or even Davis, he did not play for the pure love of snooker but because of an obsession with being the best. "For me - and I've said it since 1990 - he's the greatest player ever to lift a snooker cue. Although he remained a fixture in the sports top 10 rankings, he was unable to equal the heights he had reached in the previous decade. Tied at 42 pints apiece, Sinclair hit the deck and Werbeniuk went to the bar for a celebratory beer. Walter Donaldson became the world champion in the post-war era, but for a long time, Scotland lagged behind the other UK nations. O'Sullivan had finished runner-up in the Masters three times since his maiden title in this tournament in 1995 - to Hendry (1996), Steve Davis (1997) and Paul Hunter (2004) - but he'd get his hands on the new crystal triangle trophy with a 10-3 demolition job of John Higgins. Growing up, he also spent time living in Edinburgh and Fife. Ronnie O'Sullivan has won more ranking titles in snooker than any other player, just ahead of Stephen Hendry. Rocket's 30 years at Crucible - Ronnie O'Sullivan set to pass another Stephen Hendry record at 46th World Championship Ronnie O'Sullivan holds almost all of the key records in snooker, but.