In 2001, Ronnie O’Sullivan gained his first World Snooker Championship. Now, 1 / 4 of a century later, he’s aiming for a record-breaking eighth (*50*).
The 50-year-old has lifted the trophy seven instances, a feat solely matched by Stephen Hendry within the Nineties, with no-one within the fashionable period having extra success.
O’Sullivan already holds quite a few snooker data, together with being the oldest Crucible last winner following his most up-to-date success in 2022, aged 46.
But even after having reached his personal half-century, the participant dubbed the Rocket continues to be blasting to new heights.
Last month at the World Open in China he made a break of 153, the best ever recorded in skilled snooker, after benefiting from an early snooker that left him a free ball, which then acted like a sixteenth crimson.
He reached the ultimate of that match, and Shaun Murphy, who misplaced 5-3 to O’Sullivan within the final 16, was impressed with how he carried out.
“When I played him in Yushan he seemed pretty sharp and it was a very high-quality match,” stated 2005 world champion Murphy. “He has not been at his brilliant best this season, but when he gets in and in flow he is still as good as ever.
“It could be nice for snooker if he did get to eight and nice for him – it is a story everybody needs to put in writing and it could be an unimaginable achievement.
“But he is running out of time so he needs to do it sooner than later, but it’s Ronnie O’Sullivan so you wouldn’t put anything past him.”
