There were so many - 70 titles in total - that we had to settle on just a dozen. Ronnie O'Sullivan has won more ranking titles in snooker than any other player, just ahead of Stephen Hendry. 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. I wouldn't say it's the wrong decision - it's just down to the individual.". Once again, Hendry was setting records, with an unprecedented seventh world title. That year he won the Dubai Classic, the Asian Open, the Scottish Masters, the UK Championship, and the Masters. At 18, he won his first ranking title, the 1987 Grand Prix. 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 age of professionalism in Scottish snooker came courtesy of a shy teenager who possessed a laser-like focus rarely witnessed before or since. A. Career. @ronnieo147 pic.twitter.com/bCUnSqT2Z0. And just as the 2017 sequel to Trainspotting doesnt alter the majesty of the original, Hendrys stuttering comeback doesnt change any of that. 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. The scene was vibrant. Bio. Stephen Hendry responds after Ronnie O'Sullivan equals World Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed a record-breaking seventh UK Championship title with a 10-6 victory over Mark Allen at the York Barbican. When the 96/97 season began, there were nine Scots ranked inside the top 64 and plenty more coming up on the rails. What TV channel is 2022 World Snooker Championship final? The winner of this weeks Scottish Open receives the Stephen Hendry trophy. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. 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. Stephen Hendry | Biography, Comeback, & Facts | Britannica 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. "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 . 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. pic.twitter.com/PoE9RBEcNh. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is Joe Davis, who won 15 consecutive titles from 1927 to 1946. At the first World Team Cup in 1979, there was not even a Scottish team. In 2020, Hendry was offered an invitational wildcard by World Snooker Tour, making him eligible to compete again on the circuit. 'It's just a number': Ronnie O'Sullivan plays down record-equalling I'm enjoying the process.". 'One from the archives' - Hendry makes fantastic brown to win frame, 'That is the Hendry we remember well!' - Stunning clearance after big White miss, You have to write off the first year OSullivan on Hendry comeback, 'Youve got a long night ahead!' 1995: Beats Nigel Bond in the World Championship final. There have been as many as 20 rankings tournament in a single season in recent years. Stephen Hendry's Crucible record unbeatable - Davis - BBC Sport Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2007 UK Championship - Mark Selby, 9. O'Sullivan's sixth world title came on his 28th appearance in a row here, and during the final he played his 1,847th Crucible frame to creep past the record previously set by Hendry of 1,846. "For me - and I've said it since 1990 - he's the greatest player ever to lift a snooker cue. Hendry changed the way snooker was played, ushering in a more attacking era and establishing records that took decades to be matched. 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. We look back at his 28. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan 2014 UK Championship - Matthew Selt, 14. Turning professional at 17, Hendry made a strong start in his first season, winning the 1986 Scottish Professional Championship. Ronnie O'Sullivan reacts to equalling 'absolute legend' Stephen Hendry Top 5 Ranked Men's Snooker Players Of All Time. This is generally known as the start of the 'modern era'. Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips - YouTube 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. Is Stephen Hendry set to quit comeback after opting out of - Eurosport "Then you let the snooker gods decide what they're going to decide, and these 17 days they were on my side. All rights reserved. Hendry, O'Sullivan, Davis and the players with the most trophies, Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? What Is The Prize of The World Snooker Championship? 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. His 16 centuries in the 2002 world championship also set a record. 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. At the moment it is about trying to get back to playing some good snooker.". 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. 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. "The ultimate goal is to play one more match at the Crucible. 'It makes me so angry!' Eight years on from his initial retirement from the professional sport at the age of 43 at the end of the 2011/12 season . 1. Ronnie OSullivan registered the 1000th century break of his extraordinary career to win the final of the 2019 Players Championship. 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. He admired and coveted Daviss success and adopted his mindset. Tai Chengzhe/Visual China Group via Getty Images. Career Total Statistics Tournament Record Most Frequent Opponents Rounds Reached Century Frequency Centuries per Season Graph Ranking History Prize Money History. "But records are there to be broken. 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. It was the biggest margin of victory in the tournament's final since Steve Davis whitewashed Mike Hallett 9-0 in 1988. Hendry has the longest unbeaten streak in ranking tournament play, winning 36 consecutive matches in 1990 and 1991. "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. After losing to Stephen Maguire in the quarterfinal of the 2012 World Snooker Championship, Hendry announced his retirement, stating that he was dissatisfied with his ability to maintain an acceptably high level of competition. 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. 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. Tai Chengzhe/Visual China Group via Getty Images. 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. 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. Rocket Ronnie's 30 years at Crucible O'Sullivan set to pass another Hendry record, 'Crucible return is ultimate goal' Hendry ready to continue playing, Age winning first ranking title: 18 (1987 Grand Prix), Age winning first world title: 21 (1990 World Championship), Age winning last ranking title: 36 (2005 Malta Cup). It earned him 75 of the 11million+ he's now won 30 years later. 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. At the age of 17 years and 358 days he became the youngest ever winner of a ranking event and that record still stands. 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. Four years later, he turned professional. After being ranked number one in the world for eight consecutive seasons, he lost the top spot with a first-round loss in the 1998 world championship. Fast forward to the 2012 World Championship, which he lost to Stephen Maguire, after which he announced his retirement. Davis, who lost the 1989 and 1990 UK Championship finals to Hendry, continued: "In a way I feel that it's quite a sad day for me. Stephen Hendry says Hong Kong is his favourite city and he hopes for a 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". A year after John Higgins got his revenge in the 2006 final with a nail-biting 10-9 that went down to the black, O'Sullivan broke the heart of 19-year-old sensation Ding Junhui with a resounding 10-3 triumph featuring four Rocket centuries, including a fine clearance of 143. 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. 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. Following the 1996 world championship, Hendrys play slipped. I can't explain it. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 1999 Grand Prix v Graeme Dott, 4. 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. Joe is a sub-editor for Sporting News UK. Its now undisputed, if it wasnt already. In 2020, Hendry accepted a tour card for the World Snooker Tour, indicating his return to professional play. '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. In 1984, at age 15, Hendry became the youngest Scottish amateur snooker champion in history. What is the prize money at the 2022 World Snooker Championship? The result gained revenge from losing a deciding frame in that year's Charity Challenge final, in which Hendry scored an iconic maximum break. 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. Stephen Hendry with wife Mandy and son Blaine after beating Mark Williams 18-11 to win a record seventh world title. 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. 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). O'Sullivan set to pass another Hendry record At 20, he captured the Masters and UK Championship, and at 21 was crowned the youngest ever world champion. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is Joe Davis, who won 15 consecutive titles from 1927 to 1946. 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. I just try to enjoy the game, compete, try and enjoy what I do, and work hard at my game. The year was 1996. He also had lost in the final in 1997, snapping a string of 30 straight wins in that event. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. Here's a look back through time at his 20 Triple Crown titles, his 15 career maximums and the typically memorable moment he scored his 1000th century last year. Photo: AP While Hendry is happy with his progress, he insisted that this was . For good measure Hendry also spent a recordbreaking nine years as world No 1, ahead of. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). "John Higgins is on four, it's very hard to see anyone reaching seven," said Davis, a six-time world champion. The 53-year-old, who first lifted the famous trophy aged 21, quipped: "Well he cant become the youngest world champion, not even Ronnie can do that., Davis replied: But he is playing like Benjamin Button.. Despite what he says about his cue action. Once he decided he'd be the greatest player in the world, he achieved that.". 2014 UK Championship Final: Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Judd Trump DECIDER! MORE:Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? To be the best was all he had ever wanted. 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. He said: "I think it meant more to him than it does to me, to have seven world titles. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2018 English Open - Allan Taylor. Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry has announced his retirement from snooker after a heavy 13-2 defeat by Stephen Maguire at the Crucible. He competed in the World Amateur Championship that year, setting a record for being the youngest entrant ever.. Earlier in the tournament he'd beaten Marcus Campbell (10-4), Ali Carter (13-8), Stuart Bingham (13-4) and Judd Trump 17-11. 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. 2023 Eurosport, a Warner Bros. Hendry had not even played the game before his parents bought him a half-sized table for Christmas in 1981. 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 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. All these matches are part of the process, and getting me comfortable in arenas again. Stephen Hendry: "Are you saying another record of mine is going? 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. A ranking tournament is one that counts towards snooker's world rankings, which were introduced in the 1976-77 season. 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. Tied at 42 pints apiece, Sinclair hit the deck and Werbeniuk went to the bar for a celebratory beer. 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. 1 ranking for a period in 2005. 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. 'Feels amazing' Higgins ends 13-month title drought by retaining Championship League crown, Watch Robertson produce magic as Trump leads final Championship League group. 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. Discovery company. Ronnie O'Sullivan has won more ranking titles in snooker than any other player, just ahead of Stephen Hendry. We look back at his 28 years of astonishing milestones, achievements statistics, maximum breaks, and fan-pleasing antics. All rights reserved. #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. He practised with military discipline, watched over by his no-nonsense manager, Ian Doyle, and the rewards came quickly. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is. There have been as many as 20 rankings tournament in a single season in recent years. During this period in the early 1990s, a wave of Scottish talent flooded the professional ranks. 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. 'Embarrassment, anger, sadness': the decline of the great Stephen Hendry He has the record for most century breaks during a tournament, scoring 16 centuries during the 2002 World Snooker Championship. Stephen Hendry has opted out of entering the 2022 World Snooker Championship qualifiers only 12 months after returning following a nine-year absence. Hendry, O'Sullivan, Davis and the players with the most trophies, Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? O'Sullivan has always played down his pursuit of the record and maintained that stance in his post-match press conference. 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 . . Hendrys streak cooled in the 2000s, but he remained competitive, even reclaiming his No. Interviews over a few. pic.twitter.com/K1gRIJLnz9, Mark Selby thought Ronnie O'Sullivan's cavalier approach to getting out of his snookers was disrespectful. Glaswegian Alan McManus had already turned professional in 1990 and made an immediate breakthrough, reaching the UK Championship semi-finals and winning the Masters qualifying event in his debut season. However, one big difference was how he approached the game itself. "You could still have business interests and still play, but he's chosen not to. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In his Masters quarter-final against Marco Fu, Ronnie O'Sullivan fired in his 776th career century, taking him one . 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. 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. Snooker player Stephen Hendry's professional Match results, Frame scores, centuries, prize money, statistics from season 2022-2023 . Is Stephen Hendry set to quit comeback after opting out of 2022 World Ronnie OSullivan is the greatest snooker player of all time. Stephen Hendry - News on the professional snooker player - Metro It was the eighth maximum of his career and he followed it up by thrashing Stephen Maguire 10-2 for his fourth UK title. O'Sullivan's fifth UK Championship is another iconic moment in his career after he followed up the 13th 147 maximum break of his career against Matthew Selt in the last 16 before edging out rising star Judd Trump 10-9 in a truly gripping final that he'd led 9-4. Discovery company. 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. He had 24 hours to decide whether to take it and he could not resist. Fellow Glaswegian Anthony McGill has won two and Edinburghs Chris Small, forced to retire in 2005 due to a chronic back condition, one. 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. 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. - Hendry and Robertson not impressed with how some pros train, Hendry: O'Sullivan is the only player that doesnt speak to anyone. Ronnie O'Sullivan's sixth World Championship breaks the ranking title 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. This is generally known as the start of the 'modern era'. Stephen Gordon Hendry was born on January 13, 1969, in South Queensferry, Scotland. Any excuse to dig this uppic.twitter.com/hzoGnnsx9W, 1.