pic.twitter.com/jWWr6mfcAd. Here's a look back through time at his 20 Triple Crown titles, his 15 career maximums and the typically memorable moment he scored his 1000th century last year. 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. Last week, he was thrashed 5-0 by Matthew Stevens in the German Masters qualifiers. O'Sullivan has always played down his pursuit of the record and maintained that stance in his post-match press conference. Ronnie O'Sullivan has won more ranking titles in snooker than any other player, just ahead of Stephen Hendry. At age 30 (seven years younger than Reardon was when he won the first of his six world titles) Hendry considered retirement, but he persevered, working with former coach Frank Callan. pic.twitter.com/l31qIFsXDp, Ronnie O'Sullivan wins his match 10-1 in 108 minutes. Notwithstanding his absence from the top table and the feats of the likes of Ronnie OSullivan since, Hendry retains several records in the sport including nine seasons as world number one and being the only player to have won each of the sports Triple Crown titles during the same season twice. One of the most joyous scenes in all of British cinema is the opening to Trainspotting, which sees Renton and his pals careening down Princes Street and other parts of Edinburgh to Iggy Pops Lust for Life. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is Joe Davis, who won 15 consecutive titles from 1927 to 1946. All rights reserved. But I'm not going to lie and say I did want him to equal that because I didn't., Stream top snooker action, including the Shoot Out, 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. In 2020, Hendry accepted a tour card for the World Snooker Tour, indicating his return to professional play. Bio. believes Hendry's achievements mark him out as the stand-out player in the sport's history. "Steve Davis: "Have you got any left? Discovery company. Now in the world's top 16 for the first time, Ronnie O'Sullivan booked his place in the Masters tournament automatically, having made his debut the previous year after coming through the qualifying event ranked 57 in the world. OSullivan beat Judd Trump to win his seventh World Championship, I couldnt care less what Stephen Hendry or anyone else says Allen on slow-play critics, Why theres no hiding place for anyone at the Shoot Out, he was fined several times in the last 12 months. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan roof raising moment part 6567676: The way he scores the 100th point of his 1000th century. However, he began competing again in 2021. 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. "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 . Four years later, he turned professional. At the moment it is about trying to get back to playing some good snooker.". His comeback was much anticipated but has been largely underwhelming. Last updated on 2 May 20122 May 2012.From the section Snooker. Hendry says he had an unusual feeling when. Its now undisputed, if it wasnt already. At the age of 17 years and 358 days he became the youngest ever winner of a ranking event and that record still stands. Ronnie OSullivan is the greatest snooker player of all time. Discovery company. He's going to be winning this a few times and the other guys better get their act together. Joe is a sub-editor for Sporting News UK. Later Career Hendry, 43, retired on Tuesday after a 13-2 quarter-final defeat by Stephen Maguire ended his 27th consecutive appearance at the Crucible. 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. During this period in the early 1990s, a wave of Scottish talent flooded the professional ranks. Ronnie OSullivan registered the 1000th century break of his extraordinary career to win the final of the 2019 Players Championship. Yes, that's yet another record and four clear of Hendry. "John Higgins is on four, it's very hard to see anyone reaching seven," said Davis, a six-time world champion. Finishes Tournaments played: 3 Category Winner Three months later he successfully defended the World Championship title for the first time in his career. "For me - and I've said it since 1990 - he's the greatest player ever to lift a snooker cue. Hendry changed the way snooker was played, ushering in a more attacking era and. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. To be the best was all he had ever wanted. Hendrys seven world titles all came during his dominant spell in the 1990s, which also included eight consecutive seasons as world No. 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. The Scot, who dropped out of the elite top 16 earlier this season and is currently ranked 23, admitted having to qualify for this year's World Championship for the first time since 1988 "was not a nice feeling". His youth made him a relatable figure to youngsters everywhere, but especially in Scotland. The result gained revenge from losing a deciding frame in that year's Charity Challenge final, in which Hendry scored an iconic maximum break. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. He is much older and less driven, and the game has moved on with far more players capable now of playing to a high standard. We look back at his 28. The age of professionalism in Scottish snooker came courtesy of a shy teenager who possessed a laser-like focus rarely witnessed before or since. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2018 English Open - Allan Taylor. In terms of weeks spent as world number one, as of April 18, 2022, Stephen Hendry tops the list. Copyright 2017-2023 Rookie Road Inc. All rights reserved. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2000 Scottish Open v Quinten Hann, 5. That year he also won the Australian Masters and successfully defended his Scottish Professional Championship and World Doubles Championship titles.. 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. 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. "Its just a number at the end of the day, I dont get too caught up with it to be honest with you.". 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. He shares the record for most World Snooker Championship wins with Ronnie OSullivan: both have seven titles. 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. 'pic.twitter.com/7eVJQ8XH6D, If you consider the high stakes, the context, the pressure, this must be one of the greatest shots in the history of snooker from Ronnie OSullivan. This is a shame as the audience at the Meadowbank Centre would surely love to salute him. There have been as many as 20 rankings tournament in a single season in recent years. 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. 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. It almost took the pressure off me kind of thing, not that I'm under pressure to do anything. The only trophies Hendry has ever wanted to handle are the ones he has won. Selby clinched his fourth triumph this . In 2006, however, he demonstrated that he still possessed the talent that made him such a force in the 1990s when he claimed the number one ranking once again. It was almost like that. 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. 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. Well worth a watch even for Ronnie fans! 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 - 2018 China Open - Elliot Slessor, 15. The prodigious talent underlined his rich potential in emphatic fashion at just his second UK Championship by beating Ken Doherty, Steve Davis and Darren Morgan before defeating Stephen Hendry, who'd already won three world titles, two UK crowns and five successive Masters by this time, 106 in the final. He claimed the number one ranking in 1990 and held it until White defeated him at the world championship in 1998. BBC pundit and 1985 world champion Dennis Taylor believes Hendry's achievements mark him out as the stand-out player in the sport's history. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2001 LG Cup - Drew Hendry, 6. That's what a champion does, they don't play their best, they get to the final, and they still nearly win it. While Davis, the world number 39, has continued to play on the tour along with another legend, Jimmy White [ranked 44], Hendry has opted to quit 13 years after winning his last world title in 1999. After winning his first World Championship in 1990, he became the youngest player ever to lift the title at 21. Ronnie O'Sullivan's sixth World Championship broke Stephen Hendry's record for the most career ranking titles and also extended his all-time Triple Crown tally to 20. But it was a strange feeling I had. What is the prize money at the 2022 World Snooker Championship? Welcome to my brand new YouTube channel, Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2010 World Open - Mark King, 11. 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. Hendrys father bought him a junior-sized snooker table for Christmas when he was twelve.He became obsessed with the game, quickly developing his skills, and began competing in junior amateur tournaments. "But records are there to be broken. 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. Fellow Glaswegian Anthony McGill has won two and Edinburghs Chris Small, forced to retire in 2005 due to a chronic back condition, one. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. ", Ronnie O'Sullivan has won seven world titles, CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO WATCH ALL THE CRUCIBLE 147s, Crucible Champions: A look at every winner, Crucible memories: White a People's Champion, Joint most World Championships (7, equal with Stephen Hendry), Oldest ever world champion (46 years, 148 days), Youngest ever ranking winner (17 years, 358 days UK Championship, 1993), Joint most Crucible appearances (30, equal with Steve Davis), Most consecutive Crucible appearances (30), Most Crucible match wins (74 from 97 matches), Joint most Crucible 147s (3, level with Stephen Hendry). John Higgins has won four and is good enough to win another four; it is hard to say.". 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. He had 24 hours to decide whether to take it and he could not resist. Ronnie O'Sullivan makes a maximum break 147 in 6 min on first frame! Ronnie O'Sullivan's first TV appearance aged just 14 in 1990, making a break of 75. The Romford potter has amassed 52 more Crucible centuries (179 vs 127) to take his astonishing overall career tally to 1,061 compared to Scotsman's mark of 775 - which is second on the all-time list - while 15 of those were maximums. Despite what he says about his cue action. "It's been an unbelievable career," Taylor told BBC Radio 5 live. 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.. He hadn't reached the final since his defeat to Mark Selby in 2014 and hadn't even gone beyond the quarter-finals in this time, while his first-round defeat to qualifier James Cahill 12 months earlier went down as one of the biggest shocks in World Championship history. OSullivan has already ticked off the other major records Hendry held including most Triple Crown wins and most ranking tournament titles. "I can't see Stephen changing his mind; once he decides on something, that's it. 'It makes me so angry!' Enjoy. Graeme Dott, raised on the Easterhouse estate in Glasgow often associated with social decay, demonstrated his iron toughness by becoming world champion in 2006. Although they've both thrilled the Sheffield crowd with three 147s apiece at snooker's spiritual home, the Rocket's incomprehensibly brilliant maiden maximum in five minutes eight seconds will never be surpassed and it speaks volumes that the closest anyone has ever got is O'Sullivan himself when clocking six minutes and 30 seconds against Marco Fu in 2003. 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%. pic.twitter.com/K1gRIJLnz9, Mark Selby thought Ronnie O'Sullivan's cavalier approach to getting out of his snookers was disrespectful. SUBSCRIBE for the biggest and best videos from the only official World Snooker channel on YouTubeWebsite: www.wst.tvTwitter: @WeAreWSTFacebook: /WorldSnooker. He was that dominant. There have been as many as 20 rankings tournament in a single season in recent years. Stephen Hendry has admitted he did not want Ronnie OSullivan to equal his haul of seven World Championship titles, and does not want him to surpass their now joint-record. 2005: Wins his 36th and most recent ranking title at the Malta Cup. Joe is a sub-editor for Sporting News UK. He also talks about whether it was extra motivation pic.twitter.com/n58nxPeGaK. 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. This is generally known as the start of the 'modern era'. However, when pressed for a more serious answer he replied: "I've never bothered about records, I've never performed well if I'm going for stuff like that. Earlier in the tournament he'd beaten Marcus Campbell (10-4), Ali Carter (13-8), Stuart Bingham (13-4) and Judd Trump 17-11. In recognition of his excellence in the sport, Hendry was knighted, receiving a MBE recognition in 1994. Snooker player Stephen Hendry's professional Match results, Frame scores, centuries, prize money, statistics from season 2022-2023 . **Hendry resumed playing in 2021 after nine years out, but his future on the tour is unclear. Turning professional at 17, Hendry made a strong start in his first season, winning the 1986 Scottish Professional Championship. Maybe they need another talisman to look up to, but the Hendrys of this world are rare. He had pushed his career earnings past 6.2 million (about $10 million) and by November had reclaimed his number one ranking. What TV channel is 2022 World Snooker Championship final? I'm sure you're as excited watching at home as we are here." Ronnie O'Sullivan - 1997 World Championship v Mick Price, 2. That year he won the Dubai Classic, the Asian Open, the Scottish Masters, the UK Championship, and the Masters. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2003 World Championship - Marco Fu, 7. The Scot finished as the year-end rankings leader for eight seasons in a row from 1989/90 to 1996/97. He repeated as world champ from 1992 to 1996. All these matches are part of the process, and getting me comfortable in arenas again. His 16 centuries in the 2002 world championship also set a record. Tai Chengzhe/Visual China Group via Getty Images. I can't explain it. Ronnie's reply"I'm never going to be good at getting out of snookers. Hendry continued his ascent in his third professional season, winning his first world ranking titles at the 1987 Rothmans Grand Prix and the 1988 British Open. Following the 1996 world championship, Hendrys play slipped. He wont even be there to present the trophy. Hendry was 30 and the extraordinary intensity he had given to be the best seemed to wane. Mark Allen, Mark Selby and John Higgins had all thwarted his attempts to lift the Crucible trophy for a fourth time as he failed to get past the quarter-final in any of the previous three seasons. 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.