O'Sullivan returned to the sport just in time for the Masters after a near eight-month hiatus in which he decided to defend his UK Championship title in December 2015. Once he decided he'd be the greatest player in the world, he achieved that.". 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. Any excuse to dig this uppic.twitter.com/hzoGnnsx9W, 1. Growing up, he also spent time living in Edinburgh and Fife. After the 1999 world championship, Hendrys fortunes faded once more. Ronnie O'Sullivan roof raising moment part 6567676: The way he scores the 100th point of his 1000th century. 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. 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. I didnt want Ronnie to equal my record and I dont want him to beat my record, why would I? Hendry said on the WST Podcast. 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. 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. Steve Davis says he cannot imagine anyone bettering Stephen Hendry's tally of seven World Championship titles. Hendry had observed Steve Davis aloofness, the way he set himself apart from his rivals. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan on whether he's just created the greatest sporting documentary of all time after giving it the fairytale ending. 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. A ranking tournament is one that counts towards snooker's world rankings, which were introduced in the 1976-77 season. They each joined the pro circuit the following year. He had never intended to be like his old rival Jimmy White and enter every event. 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. MORE:Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? I wouldn't say it's the wrong decision - it's just down to the individual.". "Obviously a name for the future. And just as the 2017 sequel to Trainspotting doesnt alter the majesty of the original, Hendrys stuttering comeback doesnt change any of that. 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. John Higgins has won four and is good enough to win another four; it is hard to say.". '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. 2023 Eurosport, a Warner Bros. 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. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Photo: AP While Hendry is happy with his progress, he insisted that this was . All rights reserved. The following season, he successfully defended that title and won the World Doubles Championship with partner Mike Hallett. 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 - 2018 English Open - Allan Taylor. 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. He turned professional the following year, and when he won the Grand Prix in 1987, he became the youngest player to win a tournament. The winner of this weeks Scottish Open receives the Stephen Hendry trophy. 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 is a shame as the audience at the Meadowbank Centre would surely love to salute him. Maybe not that night, because there's still a little bit of sadness that he equalled my record. Finishes Tournaments played: 3 Category Winner His five match wins during this edition took him to 74 Crucible victories, four more than one of other Hendrys few remaining records. However, he began competing again in 2021. At the age of 17 years and 358 days he became the youngest ever winner of a ranking event and that record still stands. It earned him 75 of the 11million+ he's now won 30 years later. 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 seventh and final World Snooker Championship title in 1999 set a record for most of all time -a record which he held solely until Ronnie O'Sullivan tied the record with his 2022 championship win. Ronnie's reply"I'm never going to be good at getting out of snookers. This remarkable completion of professional snookers Triple Crown by the young Hendry moved him into the No. 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. Stephen Hendry holds the record for the youngest ever to win the World Snooker Championship, as he won the 1990 tournament at 21 years and 106 days. . Hendrys streak cooled in the 2000s, but he remained competitive, even reclaiming his No. He also talks about whether it was extra motivation pic.twitter.com/n58nxPeGaK. OSullivan's magic seventh World Championship title against Judd Trump 21 years after his first finally draws him level with the 'King of the Crucible', but he stands alone at the top for all the other records that matter and many others. He shares the record for most World Snooker Championship wins with Ronnie OSullivan: both have seven titles. What TV channel is 2022 World Snooker Championship final? pic.twitter.com/l31qIFsXDp, Ronnie O'Sullivan wins his match 10-1 in 108 minutes. There were so many - 70 titles in total - that we had to settle on just a dozen. Hendry himself did not rule out someone overtaking his record eventually, even if the odds are against it. At the end of the 198990 season, Hendry, at 21 years 106 days, topped Jimmy White 1812 to become the youngest world champion ever. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. The groan of appreciation from Stephen Hendry accompanies it perfectly. When the 96/97 season began, there were nine Scots ranked inside the top 64 and plenty more coming up on the rails. 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. I can't explain it. 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. The 1989-90 season was the beginning of Stephen Hendrys period of dominance, both in major tournaments and atop the world rankings. 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. 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. Following the 1996 world championship, Hendrys play slipped. Fast forward to the 2012 World Championship, which he lost to Stephen Maguire, after which he announced his retirement. His youth made him a relatable figure to youngsters everywhere, but especially in Scotland. SUBSCRIBE for the biggest and best videos from the only official World Snooker channel on YouTubeWebsite: www.wst.tvTwitter: @WeAreWSTFacebook: /WorldSnooker. Hendry has the longest unbeaten streak in ranking tournament play, winning 36 consecutive matches in 1990 and 1991. 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. 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. Article bookmarked. 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. Evans slams 'disgusting' prize money in women's snooker as Baipat claims world title. The result gained revenge from losing a deciding frame in that year's Charity Challenge final, in which Hendry scored an iconic maximum break. 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. 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. 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. He capped off his incredible season by defeating Jimmy White in the final of the World Snooker Championship, winning his first world championship title,and setting a record for becoming the youngest to do so at the age of 21. O'Sullivan has always played down his pursuit of the record and maintained that stance in his post-match press conference. At 53, it is surely impossible for Hendry to recapture former glories. Hed sacrificed much to get to the top and had no regrets. 2014 UK Championship Final: Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Judd Trump DECIDER! 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. 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. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. 'Feels amazing' Higgins ends 13-month title drought by retaining Championship League crown, Watch Robertson produce magic as Trump leads final Championship League group. 'It makes me so angry!' Perhaps it had to if he was to avoid serious burnout. Hendry was 30 and the extraordinary intensity he had given to be the best seemed to wane. It was almost like that. All rights reserved. Discovery company. 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. The record was previously set by Stephen Hendry back in 1999. Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry has announced his retirement from snooker after a heavy 13-2 defeat by Stephen Maguire at the Crucible. O'Sullivan equalled the record of Stephen Hendry by winning his seventh World Championship . His comeback was much anticipated but has been largely underwhelming. Davis was the best player of his generation but still played the percentages. "It's been an unbelievable career," Taylor told BBC Radio 5 live. 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). He's an absolutely wonderful snooker player.. He has played a partial schedule in 2021 and 2022, never making it past the second round of a tournament. I just try to enjoy the game, compete, try and enjoy what I do, and work hard at my game. Nobody could stop him this time as he downed former champions Peter Ebdon (10-4), Mark Williams (13-6) and Neil Robertson (13-10) before waltzing past Matthew Stevens (17-10) in the semi-finals and Ali Carter 18-11 for the title. He'd previously brushed aside Dott (6-3), Ding Junhui (6-2) and Jimmy White (6-1) as he continued to dazzle the crowds. OSullivan has already ticked off the other major records Hendry held including most Triple Crown wins and most ranking tournament titles. A series of records fell in his wake. He was that dominant. Who Has Won The Most World Snooker Championships? At the moment it is about trying to get back to playing some good snooker.". 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. Mark Selby has been playing around 280 minutes to lead 5-4. 2023 Eurosport, a Warner Bros. 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. In contrast, OSullivan has won his Crucible crowns over more than two decades, with his first coming in 2001 and his latest in 2022. Evans slams 'disgusting' prize money in women's snooker as Baipat claims world title. Way back in 1993 at the age of 17 he became the youngest winner of a ranking event at the UK Championship, and 27 years on he's bagged a record-breaking 37th as the oldest Crucible champion since Reardon in 1978. The year was 1996. Ronnie O'sullivan 147 Break vs. Mark Selby, Ronnie O'Sullivan v Mark Williams 147 break, Snooker Ronnie O'Sullivan - Ding Junhui 147 Break, Ronnie O'Sullivan 13th 147 Maximum vs Matthew Selt UK Championship 2014 {BBC 720p HD}, 147 Classics: Ronnie O'Sullivan in China | Snooker | Eurosport, 147 Classics: Ronnie O'Sullivan | Snooker | Eurosport. O'Sullivan set to pass another Hendry record 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! Once again, Hendry was setting records, with an unprecedented seventh world title. 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. A. Career. @ronnieo147 pic.twitter.com/bCUnSqT2Z0. Even Neil Robertson is laughing by the end of the title-winning break. Hendrys seven world titles all came during his dominant spell in the 1990s, which also included eight consecutive seasons as world No. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2001 LG Cup - Drew Hendry, 6. McManus would win the Masters itself in 1994. In recognition of his excellence in the sport, Hendry was knighted, receiving a MBE recognition in 1994. Top 5 Ranked Men's Snooker Players Of All Time. He managed it in six minutes and there was an amusing moment at the end when he removed the sponsor logo from his waistcoat! Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2003 World Championship - Marco Fu, 7. 1996: Fifth consecutive world title comes with final victory over Peter Ebdon. It capped a tumultuous tournament for O'Sullivan, who had threatened to launch a breakaway tour then required a final-frame decider to edge past veteran Ken Doherty in round two. believes Hendry's achievements mark him out as the stand-out player in the sport's history. Considering all categories of tournament, including ranking, non-ranking and invitational, Steve Davis has won the most titles in snooker. Just 16 when he joined the circuit, he was completely driven from the start. He might not have been the last snooker king of Scotland but was the man who inspired a nation, and who brought it respect. He's going to be winning this a few times and the other guys better get their act together. 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. pic.twitter.com/PoE9RBEcNh. The scene was vibrant. "Its just a number at the end of the day, I dont get too caught up with it to be honest with you.". 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. In terms of weeks spent as world number one, as of April 18, 2022, Stephen Hendry tops the list. 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. 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. The circuit currently boasts only eight Scottish professionals. 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.