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 rights reserved. "Steve Davis: "Have you got any left? To be the best was all he had ever wanted. He became the first player to score the maximum of 147 three times in tournament play, recording his first 147 in 1992 and two more in 1995 (he scored additional maximums in 1997 and 1998, two in 1999, and others in 2001 and 2009). Evans slams 'disgusting' prize money in women's snooker as Baipat claims world title, Hendry had stated his main aim was to come through four qualifying rounds to return to the Crucible, scene of his finest moments in the sport, when he embarked upon his comeback after working with much-lauded SightRight coach, "I know that kind of means nothing, but when I first started with Stephen Feeney, I wanted to get back to enjoying playing snooker again even if it was on the practice table,". He claimed the number one ranking in 1990 and held it until White defeated him at the world championship in 1998. 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. Updates? 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. "Jimmy White would probably feel that even though he's not at the cutting edge any more, he's enjoyed the challenge of trying to stay within the game, and I've enjoyed the same challenge, but obviously Stephen didn't. 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. It takes too much time practicing getting out of snookers, I'd rather practice break building." 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. Tai Chengzhe/Visual China Group via Getty Images. 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. 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 had 24 hours to decide whether to take it and he could not resist. 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. In contrast, OSullivan has won his Crucible crowns over more than two decades, with his first coming in 2001 and his latest in 2022. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2003 World Championship - Marco Fu, 7. 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. 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 O'Sullivan - 2008 World Championship - Mark Williams, 10. Who set these standards? At 20, he captured the Masters and UK Championship, and at 21 was crowned the youngest ever world champion. Ronnie O'Sullivan v Barry Hawkins | FINAL 2016 Dafabet Masters Session 1, Joe Perry vs Ronnie O'Sullivan Masters 2017 (Final)( Session 2), Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Shaun Murphy - 2017 UK Championship, THE BEST OF 2018 UK FINAL! Stephen Hendry with wife Mandy and son Blaine after beating Mark Williams 18-11 to win a record seventh world title. He intends to continue playing, and his tour card has been renewed through 2024. I just try to enjoy the game, compete, try and enjoy what I do, and work hard at my game. Ronnie OSullivan registered the 1000th century break of his extraordinary career to win the final of the 2019 Players Championship. 'He could pot everyone off the table' - Trump on Hendry in his prime, 'Hendry is right on Jimmy' - O'Sullivan agrees White should relax with snooker. It is unclear if Hendry will be offered another wild card to continue playing or if he will accept it. Career Total Statistics Tournament Record Most Frequent Opponents Rounds Reached Century Frequency Centuries per Season Graph Ranking History Prize Money History. After winning his first World Championship in 1990, he became the youngest player ever to lift the title at 21. Ronnie O'Sullivan roof raising moment part 6567676: The way he scores the 100th point of his 1000th century. The Scot finished as the year-end rankings leader for eight seasons in a row from 1989/90 to 1996/97. 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. 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%. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2010 World Open - Mark King, 11. 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. 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. Fast forward to the 2012 World Championship, which he lost to Stephen Maguire, after which he announced his retirement. "I would say no, because there are so many great players competing against each other to win every tournament," he told BBC Sport. In terms of weeks spent as world number one, as of April 18, 2022, Stephen Hendry tops the list. All these matches are part of the process, and getting me comfortable in arenas again. O'Sullivan equalled the record of Stephen Hendry by winning his seventh World Championship . pic.twitter.com/l31qIFsXDp, Ronnie O'Sullivan wins his match 10-1 in 108 minutes. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2001 LG Cup - Drew Hendry, 6. At the end of the 198990 season, Hendry, at 21 years 106 days, topped Jimmy White 1812 to become the youngest world champion ever. Yes, that's yet another record and four clear of Hendry. Hendrys seven world titles all came during his dominant spell in the 1990s, which also included eight consecutive seasons as world No. 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. Who Has Won The Most World Snooker Championships? Having spent most of his career doing his own thing, he suddenly became friendly with the other players and, by his own admission, lost some of his edge. O'Sullivan stands on 69 wins from 92 matches played between 1993 and 2021. WPBSA Head Office: World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, 75 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2NT, Victories in Sheffield for Hendry and Wallace, White and Doherty to Meet in World Seniors Final. The deadline to enter the sport's blue-chip event was Monday at lunchtime, but the Scotsman has opted against playing as he continues his work as a TV pundit away from the table with the 46th World Championship at the Crucible staged between 16 April-2 May LIVE on Eurosport. 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. Omissions? Who has won the most World Snooker Championship titles? pic.twitter.com/K1gRIJLnz9, Mark Selby thought Ronnie O'Sullivan's cavalier approach to getting out of his snookers was disrespectful. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stephen-Hendry, Electric Scotland - Biography of Stephen Hendry. Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Mark Allen, Ronnie O'Sullivan's seven UK Championship titles, Ronnie O'Sullivan is world champion for a sixth time, Ronnie O'Sullivan Fastest 147 Break Ever | 1997 Snooker World Championship | Eurosport, Ronnie O'Sullivan v James Wattana - 147 Break, Ronnie O'Sullivan v Graeme Dott 147 break, Ronnie O'Sullivan v Quinten Hann - 147 break, Must see!!! 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. It was one of six tons he managed in the final - another record - and his victory at the age of 37 meant he was the oldest player since Ray Reardon in 1978 to become world champion. I'm enjoying the process.". "Then you let the snooker gods decide what they're going to decide, and these 17 days they were on my side. Hendry says he had an unusual feeling when. However, one big difference was how he approached the game itself. Hendry changed the way snooker was played, ushering in a more attacking era and. "It's been an unbelievable career," Taylor told. 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. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. But why is that? I can't explain it. Discovery company. Welcome to my brand new YouTube channel, Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips. To qualify for that would be incredible. Who has won the most World Snooker Championship titles? In recognition of his excellence in the sport, Hendry was knighted, receiving a MBE recognition in 1994. Hed sacrificed much to get to the top and had no regrets. O'Sullivan has always played down his pursuit of the record and maintained that stance in his post-match press conference. His comeback was much anticipated but has been largely underwhelming. 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. 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. At the first World Team Cup in 1979, there was not even a Scottish team. 'It makes me so angry!' Joe is a sub-editor for Sporting News UK. As an added bonus, here's how he equalled Stephen Hendry's century break record of 775 against Ricky Walden Ronnie O'Sullivan's incredible career in numbers, RONNIE O'SULLIVAN WINS HIS SIXTH WORLD SNOOKER TITLE AT THE CRUCIBLE, Ronnie O'Sullivan wins UK Championship 1993, B&H Masters 1995 Final: Ronnie O'Sullivan Vs John Higgins Part 2, SNOOKER UK CHAMP 1997 final O`Sullivan vs Hendry part 2, Stephen Hendry 147 v Ronnie O'Sullivan Decider Charity Challenge 1997, 2001 World Snooker Championship Final Ronnie O'Sullivan vs John Higgins, 2004 World Snooker Championship Final Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Graeme Dott Session 4 (BBC), 2005 Snooker the Masters Final Ronnie O'Sullivan vs John Higgins Frame 9-13, DECIDER O'Sullivan v Selby SF 2007 UK Championship, 2007 Snooker UK Championship Final Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Stephen Maguire Frame 9-12, Ronnie's 147 v Williams at the 2008 World Championship, 2008 World Snooker Championship Final Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Ali Carter Frame 21-24, 2009 Snooker The Masters Final Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Mark Selby Frame 13-18, Ronnie O'Sullivan v Ali Carter 2012 World Championship, Amazing 2013 World Championship Final | O'Sullivan - Hawkins, Selby v O'Sullivan FINAL FRAME 2014 Masters HD1080p. Enjoy. This is generally known as the start of the 'modern era'. Ronnie O'Sullivan on whether he's just created the greatest sporting documentary of all time after giving it the fairytale ending. Stephen Hendry has admitted he did not want Ronnie O'Sullivan to equal his haul of seven World Championship titles, and does not want him to surpass their now joint-record. Evans slams 'disgusting' prize money in women's snooker as Baipat claims world title. Interviews over a few. The 43-year-old, who . Fellow Glaswegian Anthony McGill has won two and Edinburghs Chris Small, forced to retire in 2005 due to a chronic back condition, one. '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. O'Sullivan may well still be a solitary world title shy of Hendry's historic mark of seven after his 18-8 victory over Kyren Wilson drew him level with Steve Davis and Ray Reardon, but few can possibly dispute the Rocket's unofficial status as the greatest snooker player of all time. Please subscribe as we've got loads of amazing snooker content coming up over the next few months. OSullivan has already ticked off the other major records Hendry held including most Triple Crown wins and most ranking tournament titles. Ronnie O'Sullivan (1992-) 6x Worlds, 7x UK champ, 7x Masters, 37 ranking titles, 1061 centuries, 15 147s Stephen Hendry (1985-2012) 7x Worlds, 5x UK champ, 6x Masters, 36 ranking titles, 775 centuries, 11 147s Who is the GOAT? RT for Ronnie Like for Hendry pic.twitter.com/S4MiKoDhHG. Can't stop smiling watching this againpic.twitter.com/vPxSMZhCEo, 1000 x ! Ronnie O'Sullivan's legendary career reaches a new unprecedented milestone, making his 1000th century - 27 years after his first - to win his 35th ranking title! What. 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. 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. 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. 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. In his Masters quarter-final against Marco Fu, Ronnie O'Sullivan fired in his 776th career century, taking him one . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The winner of this weeks Scottish Open receives the Stephen Hendry trophy. One of snooker's all-time greats Scotland's 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. "The ultimate goal is to play one more match at the Crucible. Discovery company. He has played a partial schedule in 2021 and 2022, never making it past the second round of a tournament. - Stunning clearance after big White miss, You have to write off the first year OSullivan on Hendry comeback, 'Youve got a long night ahead!' By the end of the Millennium, the legendary Scotsman had completed his haul of 18 Triple Crowns, which were all compiled since 1989 and included five UK Championships and six Masters crowns, while hed only win a further four ranking titles so hes had over 20 years of watching his milestones being eroded away. After three semi-final defeats in the 1990s and a shock 10-9 defeat to David Gray in round one of the Millennium edition, O'Sullivan reached his first Crucible final by overcoming Andy Hicks (10-2), Dave Harold (13-6), Peter Ebdon (13-6) and Joe Swail (17-11) before an absorbing 18-14 victory over 1998 champion John Higgins. Finishes Tournaments played: 3 Category Winner Ronnie OSullivan is the greatest snooker player of all time. Hendry, 43, retired on Tuesday after a 13-2 quarter-final defeat by Stephen Maguire . All rights reserved. It earned him 75 of the 11million+ he's now won 30 years later. Unlike White or even Davis, he did not play for the pure love of snooker but because of an obsession with being the best. Once it happened, it was almost kind of a relief, said Hendry. The 1989-90 season was the beginning of Stephen Hendrys period of dominance, both in major tournaments and atop the world rankings. There are some young prospects in Scotland, but not in the numbers of 30 years ago. 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. 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. They each joined the pro circuit the following year. However, he began competing again in 2021. Hendry jokes with ref, The seven-time world champion accepted a two-year wild card from former World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn at the outset of the 2020/21 season and played his first match since the 2012 World Championship when he lost 4-1 to. MORE:Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? Even Neil Robertson is laughing by the end of the title-winning break. 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. Tai Chengzhe/Visual China Group via Getty Images. The seventh, though, was like a dam breaking. 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. "But records are there to be broken. "John Higgins is on four, it's very hard to see anyone. 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. "Hendry: "Well he can't become the youngest world champion"Davis: "But he is playing like Benjamin Button." Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. 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. His five match wins during this edition took him to 74 Crucible victories, four more than one of other Hendrys few remaining records. A. Career. @ronnieo147 pic.twitter.com/bCUnSqT2Z0.