In recognition of his excellence in the sport, Hendry was knighted, receiving a MBE recognition in 1994. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 1999 Grand Prix v Graeme Dott, 4. 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. Higgins was also 19 and just like O'Sullivan 12 months earlier, came through a qualifying event ranked 51 in the world. The 1989-90 season was the beginning of Stephen Hendrys period of dominance, both in major tournaments and atop the world rankings. BBC commentators and presenters for 2022 World Snooker Championship. Stephen . Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. Why Do Snooker Players Use Their Chins When Shooting. Hendry, 43, retired on Tuesday after a 13-2 quarter-final defeat by Stephen Maguire ended his 27th consecutive appearance at the Crucible. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2018 China Open - Elliot Slessor, 15. He practised with military discipline, watched over by his no-nonsense manager, Ian Doyle, and the rewards came quickly. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2018 English Open - Allan Taylor. "Then you let the snooker gods decide what they're going to decide, and these 17 days they were on my side. At the moment it is about trying to get back to playing some good snooker.". This is generally known as the start of the 'modern era'. 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. 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. pic.twitter.com/K1gRIJLnz9, Mark Selby thought Ronnie O'Sullivan's cavalier approach to getting out of his snookers was disrespectful. 2014 UK Championship Final: Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Judd Trump DECIDER! 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. This is a shame as the audience at the Meadowbank Centre would surely love to salute him. I wouldn't say it's the wrong decision - it's just down to the individual.". He's going to be winning this a few times and the other guys better get their act together. 1999: Wins his record seventh world title, seeing off Mark Williams in the final. Steve Davis says he cannot imagine anyone bettering Stephen Hendry's tally of seven World Championship titles. "For me - and I've said it since 1990 - he's the greatest player ever to lift a snooker cue. 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. However, one big difference was how he approached the game itself. It was the biggest margin of victory in the tournament's final since Steve Davis whitewashed Mike Hallett 9-0 in 1988. For good measure Hendry also spent a recordbreaking nine years as world No 1, ahead of. Interviews over a few. The 43-year-old, who . 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. There were so many - 70 titles in total - that we had to settle on just a dozen. Wishaws John Higgins was taken with one of his brothers to a snooker club as a boy by their father, who could have a social drink with his friends while his sons were happily occupied. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. MORE:Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? 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. 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. He wont even be there to present the trophy. He claimed the number one ranking in 1990 and held it until White defeated him at the world championship in 1998. 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. Victories in the Scottish Open and the Irish Masters rebuilt his confidence, and at the 1999 world championship he survived an especially tough draw to reach the final, in which he defeated Mark Williams 1811. After the 1999 world championship, Hendrys fortunes faded once more. 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. 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. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. Prodigy then, legend now. Its now undisputed, if it wasnt already. Tied at 42 pints apiece, Sinclair hit the deck and Werbeniuk went to the bar for a celebratory beer. Earlier in the tournament he'd beaten Marcus Campbell (10-4), Ali Carter (13-8), Stuart Bingham (13-4) and Judd Trump 17-11. pic.twitter.com/jWWr6mfcAd. 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 20, he captured the Masters and UK Championship, and at 21 was crowned the youngest ever world champion. 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. Indeed OSullivans time span of winning major titles which now stands at 29 years is testament to the astounding longevity of his greatness compared to anyone whos ever picked up a cue, Hendry included. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is. At 53, it is surely impossible for Hendry to recapture former glories. Any excuse to dig this uppic.twitter.com/hzoGnnsx9W, 1. 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. 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. These days, he is playing not just against the new players but his own past, judged by the performances of his pomp and suffering in comparison. 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. "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. Hendry was 30 and the extraordinary intensity he had given to be the best seemed to wane. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2008 World Championship - Mark Williams, 10. Despite what he says about his cue action. 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. The only trophies Hendry has ever wanted to handle are the ones he has won. Perhaps it had to if he was to avoid serious burnout. Top 5 Ranked Men's Snooker Players Of All Time. "John Higgins is on four, it's very hard to see anyone. Who has won the most World Snooker Championship titles? The scene was vibrant. Once he decided he'd be the greatest player in the world, he achieved that.". 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. Hendry, O'Sullivan, Davis and the players with the most trophies, Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? Even Neil Robertson is laughing by the end of the title-winning break. 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. O'Sullivan stands on 69 wins from 92 matches played between 1993 and 2021. 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. "I would say no, because there are so many great players competing against each other to win every tournament," he told BBC Sport. Hendry himself did not rule out someone overtaking his record eventually, even if the odds are against it. - Hendry and Robertson not impressed with how some pros train, Hendry: O'Sullivan is the only player that doesnt speak to anyone. #snooker #bbcsnooker pic.twitter.com/dgKOL1QXhs, Ronnie O'Sullivan doing this to trail Mark Selby 16-14 in a World Championship semi-final but still ends up winning 17-16 in a match of the ages. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. He represented his nation at the highest level of a hugely popular sport with distinction, winning 36 ranking tournaments including seven World Championships. That year he won the Dubai Classic, the Asian Open, the Scottish Masters, the UK Championship, and the Masters. In contrast, OSullivan has won his Crucible crowns over more than two decades, with his first coming in 2001 and his latest in 2022. 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). 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. It takes too much time practicing getting out of snookers, I'd rather practice break building." 1. 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. His five match wins during this edition took him to 74 Crucible victories, four more than one of other Hendrys few remaining records. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2000 Scottish Open v Quinten Hann, 5. O'Sullivan was riding on a crest of a wave by the end of the year and after edging out Peter Ebdon 9-8 in the quarter-finals and Mark Williams 9-6 in the semis, the Rocket destroyed Ken Doherty 10-1 to land his third UK title. 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. Fast forward to the 2012 World Championship, which he lost to Stephen Maguire, after which he announced his retirement. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stephen-Hendry, Electric Scotland - Biography of Stephen Hendry. 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. He might not have been the last snooker king of Scotland but was the man who inspired a nation, and who brought it respect. Hendry changed the way snooker was played, ushering in a more attacking era and establishing records that took decades to be matched. 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. Once again, Hendry was setting records, with an unprecedented seventh world title. What Are The Differences Between Snooker And Billiards? "Steve Davis: "Have you got any left? 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. What Is The Prize of The World Snooker Championship? Discovery company. Tribute to Stephen Hendry. Stream the Scottish Open and more top snooker action 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 terms of weeks spent as world number one, as of April 18, 2022, Stephen Hendry tops the list. Discovery company. Hendry changed the way snooker was played, ushering in a more attacking era and. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. All rights reserved. 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. 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. 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. 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. Later Career 'Feels amazing' Higgins ends 13-month title drought by retaining Championship League crown, Watch Robertson produce magic as Trump leads final Championship League group. He competed in the World Amateur Championship that year, setting a record for being the youngest entrant ever.. The groan of appreciation from Stephen Hendry accompanies it perfectly. 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. 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. Tai Chengzhe/Visual China Group via Getty Images. Photo: AP While Hendry is happy with his progress, he insisted that this was . At 20, he captured the Masters and UK Championship, and at 21 was crowned the youngest ever world champion. Ronnie O'Sullivan roof raising moment part 6567676: The way he scores the 100th point of his 1000th century. 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. To qualify for that would be incredible. That year he also won the Australian Masters and successfully defended his Scottish Professional Championship and World Doubles Championship titles.. All rights reserved. Although he sat out of the 2022 World Snooker Championship qualifying, Hendry stated that he intends to continue competing. His seventh and final World Snooker Championship title in 1999 set a record for most of all timea record which he held solely until Ronnie OSullivan tied the record with his 2022 championship win. Finishes Tournaments played: 3 Category Winner Discovery company. From 1992 until his defeat by Ken Doherty in the 1997 World Championship final, he won 29 consecutive matches at the Crucible, a modern-era record. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 1997 World Championship v Mick Price, 2. "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 . After winning his first World Championship in 1990, he became the youngest player ever to lift the title at 21. 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. They each joined the pro circuit the following year. 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. "You could still have business interests and still play, but he's chosen not to. At 18, he won his first ranking title, the 1987 Grand Prix. 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. What TV channel is 2022 World Snooker Championship final? 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. Joe is a sub-editor for Sporting News UK. The Scot finished as the year-end rankings leader for eight seasons in a row from 1989/90 to 1996/97. 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. A ranking tournament is one that counts towards snooker's world rankings, which were introduced in the 1976-77 season. Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. 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. He intends to continue playing, and his tour card has been renewed through 2024. 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. Hed sacrificed much to get to the top and had no regrets. His 16 centuries in the 2002 world championship also set a record. He has won 36 full-ranking titles to date, including 18 Triple Crown titles bettered only by OSullivan as well as having compiled 11 maximum breaks during his career. Joe is a sub-editor for Sporting News UK. Ronnie OSullivan is the greatest snooker player of all time. Graeme Dott, raised on the Easterhouse estate in Glasgow often associated with social decay, demonstrated his iron toughness by becoming world champion in 2006. Maybe not that night, because there's still a little bit of sadness that he equalled my record. 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). Please subscribe as we've got loads of amazing snooker content coming up over the next few months. Hendrys seven world titles all came during his dominant spell in the 1990s, which also included eight consecutive seasons as world No. He had pushed his career earnings past 6.2 million (about $10 million) and by November had reclaimed his number one ranking. Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed a record-breaking seventh UK Championship title with a 10-6 victory over Mark Allen at the York Barbican. 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 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2011 Paul Hunter Classic - Adam Duffy, 12. 1 ranking for a period in 2005. There were a handful of Scottish professionals in the early years of TV snooker but they did not seriously challenge for titles, although one hard man, Eddie Sinclair, did take on the notoriously thirsty Canadian Bill Werbeniuk in a legendary drinking contest. 1996: Fifth consecutive world title comes with final victory over Peter Ebdon. Higgins showed some early promise, developed a maturity in his game beyond his years and won the junior event at the 1991 World Masters in Birmingham, beating fellow 15-year-olds Ronnie OSullivan and Mark Williams en route. It's was the heaviest scoreline since the event's final became best of 19 frames back in 1993 and it's only been matched once since when Stephen Maguire thrashed David Gray in 2004. As the Scottish Open begins in Edinburgh, its worth remembering that this had not always been the case. He also had lost in the final in 1997, snapping a string of 30 straight wins in that event. I'm enjoying the process.". 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. Higgins, 47, continues to have a successful career at the top level with 31 ranking event victories to his name, including four world titles. At 46 years and 146 days, the oldest ever world champion has most ranking titles (39), most Triple Crowns (21), most UK Championships (7), most Masters titles (7), most career centuries (1,170) and most maximum breaks (15), including the fastest ever made. 20 Scots have so far competed in the Crucible stage of the World Championship. Turning professional at 17, Hendry made a strong start in his first season, winning the 1986 Scottish Professional Championship. John Higgins has won four and is good enough to win another four; it is hard to say.". And just as the 2017 sequel to Trainspotting doesnt alter the majesty of the original, Hendrys stuttering comeback doesnt change any of that. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 1999 Welsh Open v James Wattana, 3. What is the prize money at the 2022 World Snooker Championship? pic.twitter.com/kkjnHt983m. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. Tai Chengzhe/Visual China Group via Getty Images. "It's been an unbelievable career," Taylor told. Well worth a watch even for Ronnie fans! 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. 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. 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 . 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. 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. Hendry, O'Sullivan, Davis and the players with the most trophies, Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? 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. Evans slams 'disgusting' prize money in women's snooker as Baipat claims world title. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is Joe Davis, who won 15 consecutive titles from 1927 to 1946. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy - Ali Carter, 8. The winning moment The post-match interview The trophy lift Ronnie O'Sullivan is world champion for a sixth time pic.twitter.com/JfO90m22ak, Ronnie O'Sullivan wasn't mincing his words tonight! 'The players coming through are so bad I'd probably have to lose an arm and a leg to fall out of the top 50. Hendry, 43, retired on Tuesday after a 13-2 quarter-final defeat by Stephen Maguire . Just 16 when he joined the circuit, he was completely driven from the start. He's an absolutely wonderful snooker player.. Selby clinched his fourth triumph this . Ronnie O'Sullivan's 18-13 win over Judd Trump at the Crucible Theatre in the World Snooker Championship final in 2022 earned him the biggest prize in the sport for a record-equalling seventh time. O'Sullivan set to pass another Hendry record It was almost like that. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. Mon Oct 15 2018 - 13:17. 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. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan has won more ranking titles in snooker than any other player, just ahead of Stephen Hendry. Hendry had observed Steve Davis aloofness, the way he set himself apart from his rivals. He has the record for most century breaks during a tournament, scoring 16 centuries during the 2002 World Snooker Championship. '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.
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