There have been as many as 20 rankings tournament in a single season in recent years. His triumph, which came a quarter of a century after he won his first United Kingdom crown as a 17-year-old, also saw O'Sullivan nudge ahead of Stephen Hendry with 19 Triple Crown titles - comprising the World and UK Championships and the Masters. It earned him 75 of the 11million+ he's now won 30 years later. 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 never intended to be like his old rival Jimmy White and enter every event. The result gained revenge from losing a deciding frame in that year's Charity Challenge final, in which Hendry scored an iconic maximum break. 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. "I can't really envisage it happening, there's just going to be more and more players knocking each other out.". At 53, it is surely impossible for Hendry to recapture former glories. While many had given the enigmatic Rocket GOAT status on talent grounds long before he'd surpassed Stephen Hendry's records for most ranking titles (36) and Triple Crowns (18) due to the . At 20, he captured the Masters and UK Championship, and at 21 was crowned the youngest ever world champion. Considering all categories of tournament, including ranking, non-ranking and invitational, Steve Davis has won the most titles in snooker. Stephen Hendry believes Mark Selby to be a greater threat to his record of seven World Snooker Championship titles than Ronnie O'Sullivan, says Steve Davis. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. He had 24 hours to decide whether to take it and he could not resist. With Judd, we all knew he wasn't playing his best. Once he decided he'd be the greatest player in the world, he achieved that.". What is the prize money at the 2022 World Snooker Championship? Who Has Won The Most World Snooker Championships? "Steve Davis: "Have you got any left? This is generally known as the start of the 'modern era'. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2010 World Open - Mark King, 11. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan records 776th century to break Stephen Hendry's record. Once it happened, it was almost kind of a relief, said Hendry. 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. 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 has the longest unbeaten streak in ranking tournament play, winning 36 consecutive matches in 1990 and 1991. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. By becoming the first player since Paul Hunter in 2002 to retain it, O'Sullivan could celebrate a record seventh Masters title. 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! 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. Article bookmarked. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2011 Paul Hunter Classic - Adam Duffy, 12. After Hendry lost the top ranking in 2007, his play began to decline, and in 2012 he retired suddenly following his loss in the quarterfinals of the snooker world championship. Fast forward to the 2012 World Championship, which he lost to Stephen Maguire, after which he announced his retirement. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is. 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. In terms of weeks spent as world number one, as of April 18, 2022, Stephen Hendry tops the list. He had pushed his career earnings past 6.2 million (about $10 million) and by November had reclaimed his number one ranking. Stephen Hendry: "Are you saying another record of mine is going? Unlike White or even Davis, he did not play for the pure love of snooker but because of an obsession with being the best. Hendry, 43, retired on Tuesday after a 13-2 quarter-final defeat by Stephen Maguire ended his 27th consecutive appearance at the Crucible. His top break of 141 was the highest in a World Championship final, beating O'Sullivan's previous best mark of 139 in 2001. 2023 Eurosport, a Warner Bros. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. 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. Growing up, he also spent time living in Edinburgh and Fife. 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. All rights reserved. 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. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. 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. After the 1999 world championship, Hendrys fortunes faded once more. 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. Stephen Hendry bestrode the sport in the 90s in an almost imperious way. At the end of the 198990 season, Hendry, at 21 years 106 days, topped Jimmy White 1812 to become the youngest world champion ever. To be the best was all he had ever wanted. Bio. - Hendry and Robertson not impressed with how some pros train, Hendry: O'Sullivan is the only player that doesnt speak to anyone. Turning professional at 17, Hendry made a strong start in his first season, winning the 1986 Scottish Professional Championship. He hadn't been at his fluent best earlier in the tournament but managed three century breaks and 10 above 50 when the trophy was on the line. 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. He represented his nation at the highest level of a hugely popular sport with distinction, winning 36 ranking tournaments including seven World Championships. His youth made him a relatable figure to youngsters everywhere, but especially in Scotland. 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. It was the biggest margin of victory in the tournament's final since Steve Davis whitewashed Mike Hallett 9-0 in 1988. "It's been an unbelievable career," Taylor told. Yes, that's yet another record and four clear of Hendry. 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. It was almost like that. "Hendry: "Well he can't become the youngest world champion"Davis: "But he is playing like Benjamin Button." Higgins was also 19 and just like O'Sullivan 12 months earlier, came through a qualifying event ranked 51 in the world. Ronnie O'Sullivan is happy to share the World Snooker Championship record with 'absolute legend' Stephen Hendry but feels that the feat means more to the Scot than it does to. Ronnie OSullivan registered the 1000th century break of his extraordinary career to win the final of the 2019 Players Championship. 1. 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. Having recently been awarded an OBE for his services to snooker, the Rocket beat Mark Williams (6-5), Mark Selby (6-3), Stuart Bingham (6-3) before annihilating Barry Hawkins 10-1 to equal Hendry's tally of six Masters titles. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is. 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. 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. Photo: AP While Hendry is happy with his progress, he insisted that this was . He admired and coveted Daviss success and adopted his mindset. 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. The record was previously set by Stephen Hendry back in 1999. Hendry changed the way snooker was played, ushering in a more attacking era and establishing records that took decades to be matched. This is a shame as the audience at the Meadowbank Centre would surely love to salute him. "You could still have business interests and still play, but he's chosen not to. What TV channel is 2022 World Snooker Championship final? But despite trailing 16-14, he brilliantly won three frames on the trot to complete a remarkable day of semi-final snooker before wiping the floor with Kyren Wilson 18-8 in front of the returning, adoring, Crucible crowd. As the Scottish Open begins in Edinburgh, its worth remembering that this had not always been the case. 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. The Rocket dominated from the start against Neil Robertson, winning 10-4, and finished in style by reaching a career milestone which may never be passed. Eight months on from cementing his status as a sporting superstar for life with his five minute and eight second maximum at the Crucible, O'Sullivan picked up his second UK crown after claiming a 9-6 victory over Hendry in the final, ending the Scotsman's three-year grip on the trophy in the process. Corrections? 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". Hendry was full-on attack, casting safety aside and always looking to open the balls and kill frames off in one visit. O'Sullivan set to pass another Hendry record Stephen Hendry has opted out of entering the 2022 World Snooker Championship qualifiers only 12 months after returning following a nine-year absence. 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: 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%. I wouldn't say it's the wrong decision - it's just down to the individual.". After witnessing Ronnie O'Sullivan finally tie his longstanding record of seven World Snooker Championship titles, Stephen Hendry said he was "surprised it's taken him so long." The seemingly. Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. "I would say no, because there are so many great players competing against each other to win every tournament," he told BBC Sport. However, he began competing again in 2021. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 1999 Welsh Open v James Wattana, 3. This is generally known as the start of the 'modern era'. The following season, he successfully defended that title and won the World Doubles Championship with partner Mike Hallett. Even Neil Robertson is laughing by the end of the title-winning break. In contrast, OSullivan has won his Crucible crowns over more than two decades, with his first coming in 2001 and his latest in 2022. pic.twitter.com/K1gRIJLnz9, Mark Selby thought Ronnie O'Sullivan's cavalier approach to getting out of his snookers was disrespectful. pic.twitter.com/l31qIFsXDp, Ronnie O'Sullivan wins his match 10-1 in 108 minutes. At 19 years and 69 days, O'Sullivan became the youngest Masters champion and that record stands today. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2003 World Championship - Marco Fu, 7. 1999: Wins his record seventh world title, seeing off Mark Williams in the final. Hendry, O'Sullivan, Davis and the players with the most trophies, Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? 6x World champion 7x UK champion 7x Masters champion 20 Triple Crowns A record 37th ranking title 1,061 century breaks 15 147s Legendary brilliance on the table Legendary entertainment off it Ronnie O'Sullivan, the GOAT pic.twitter.com/jeDAixy07w. Hendry won five consecutive Masters titles between 1989 and 1993 and five consecutive world titles between 1992 and 1996, both records in the modern era. He shares the record for most World Snooker Championship wins with Ronnie OSullivan: both have seven titles. At 20, he captured the Masters and UK Championship, and at 21 was crowned the youngest ever world champion. Earlier in the tournament he'd beaten Marcus Campbell (10-4), Ali Carter (13-8), Stuart Bingham (13-4) and Judd Trump 17-11. He was that dominant. Snooker player Stephen Hendry's professional Match results, Frame scores, centuries, prize money, statistics from season 2022-2023 . Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2007 UK Championship - Mark Selby, 9. 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. 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's going to be winning this a few times and the other guys better get their act together. Hendry, 43, retired on Tuesday after a 13-2 quarter-final defeat by Stephen Maguire ended his 27th consecutive appearance at the Crucible. 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. BBC commentators and presenters for 2022 World Snooker Championship. O'Sullivan's inactivity in the previous season had saw him slump down to 19 in the rankings but his status as world champion earned him a spot in the Masters field. O'Sullivan equalled the record of Stephen Hendry by winning his seventh World Championship . At the first World Team Cup in 1979, there was not even a Scottish team. 2005: Wins his 36th and most recent ranking title at the Malta Cup. 'One from the archives' - Hendry makes fantastic brown to win frame, 'That is the Hendry we remember well!' Joe is a sub-editor for Sporting News UK. believes Hendry's achievements mark him out as the stand-out player in the sport's history. . Hendrys streak cooled in the 2000s, but he remained competitive, even reclaiming his No. There have been as many as 20 rankings tournament in a single season in recent years. A series of records fell in his wake. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Discovery company. 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. He intends to continue playing, and his tour card has been renewed through 2024. O'Sullivan has always played down his pursuit of the record and maintained that stance in his post-match press conference. Last updated on 2 May 20122 May 2012.From the section Snooker. 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. 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. His five match wins during this edition took him to 74 Crucible victories, four more than one of other Hendrys few remaining records. "Its just a number at the end of the day, I dont get too caught up with it to be honest with you.". 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. You put all that work in to get the record but if he does then fair play because he's taken the game to another level. The Scot finished as the year-end rankings leader for eight seasons in a row from 1989/90 to 1996/97. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. 2023 Eurosport, a Warner Bros. Hendry, who turned pro in 1985 aged 16, twice managed to win all three prestigious tournaments in one season (1989-90 & 95-96) - a feat O'Sullivan has never achieved - but only managed four more ranking triumphs this Millennium until he retired at the age of 43 following his 27th consecutive World Championship in 2012. Ronnie OSullivan is the greatest snooker player of all time. "One thing you never stop missing as a sportsman is the buzz you get from a crowd. 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. 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. Fellow Glaswegian Anthony McGill has won two and Edinburghs Chris Small, forced to retire in 2005 due to a chronic back condition, one. Tribute to Stephen Hendry. A ranking tournament is one that counts towards snooker's world rankings, which were introduced in the 1976-77 season. Prodigy then, legend now. 'It makes me so angry!' Just 16 when he joined the circuit, he was completely driven from the start. Who set these standards? Tai Chengzhe/Visual China Group via Getty Images. . He reeled off six consecutive frames to establish a four-frame advantage at the interval and despite a brief rally by his opponent he wrapped up victory with a break of 78. Tai Chengzhe/Visual China Group via Getty Images. The year was 1996. During this period in the early 1990s, a wave of Scottish talent flooded the professional ranks. Mark Selby has been playing around 280 minutes to lead 5-4. 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. 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. He claimed the number one ranking in 1990 and held it until White defeated him at the world championship in 1998. In 2020, Hendry was offered an invitational wildcard by World Snooker Tour, making him eligible to compete again on the circuit. Despite eventually signing the official WPBSA players' contract after initially refusing to do so, O'Sullivan decided to miss virtually the entire 2012-13 season but thankfully announced at the end of February that he would return at the Crucible. Ronnie O'Sullivan 2014 UK Championship - Matthew Selt, 14. The winner of this weeks Scottish Open receives the Stephen Hendry trophy. I'm sure you're as excited watching at home as we are here." Last week, he was thrashed 5-0 by Matthew Stevens in the German Masters qualifiers. "I can't see Stephen changing his mind; once he decides on something, that's it. 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. There were so many - 70 titles in total - that we had to settle on just a dozen. However, one big difference was how he approached the game itself. His 16 centuries in the 2002 world championship also set a record. Hendry won his first major junior tournament, the Scottish U-16 Championship, at age 14.Around this time, he appeared on the junior version of the BBCs Pot Black, a televised single-frame snooker competition that contributed to the games resurgence.At 15, Hendry won the Scottish Amateur Championship. Although he sat out of the 2022 World Snooker Championship qualifying, Hendry stated that he intends to continue competing. The Rocket had earlier joked with BBC's presenter Hazel Irvine during the trophy ceremony that Hendry can share the record with him for another year. As if to underline how disappointing the comeback has been, the man himself did not enter the event. 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. 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. The record was previously set by Stephen Hendry back in 1999. He remains the only player to have compiled a 147 break during the one-table stage of the semi-finals of the World Championship (1995). Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. I'm enjoying the process.". But it was a strange feeling I had. 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. And just as the 2017 sequel to Trainspotting doesnt alter the majesty of the original, Hendrys stuttering comeback doesnt change any of that. 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. "For me - and I've said it since 1990 - he's the greatest player ever to lift a snooker cue. "But records are there to be broken. "Then you let the snooker gods decide what they're going to decide, and these 17 days they were on my side. '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. Stephen Gordon Hendry was born on January 13, 1969, in South Queensferry, Scotland. The groan of appreciation from Stephen Hendry accompanies it perfectly. The age of professionalism in Scottish snooker came courtesy of a shy teenager who possessed a laser-like focus rarely witnessed before or since. He managed it in six minutes and there was an amusing moment at the end when he removed the sponsor logo from his waistcoat! Steve Davis says he cannot imagine anyone bettering Stephen Hendry's tally of seven World Championship titles. Four years later, he turned professional. 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.