**Hendry resumed playing in 2021 after nine years out, but his future on the tour is unclear. To be the best was all he had ever wanted. Eight years on from his initial retirement from the professional sport at the age of 43 at the end of the 2011/12 season, Hendry accepted an Invitational Tour Card from World Snooker Tour to pave the way for an incredible comeback to the sport that he once dominated. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Mark Selby has been playing around 280 minutes to lead 5-4. Stephen Maguire became UK champion in 2004 and currently has six ranking titles to his name. 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. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. "Steve Davis: "Have you got any left? Updates? There's obviously a lot more to consider than just stone cold statistics and tallies when debating greatest players of all time, but there can be no doubt the genius manner in which O'Sullivan's numbers escalated - not to mention the entertainment factor away from the baize - has helped him transcend his sport and popular culture like no other. A series of records fell in his wake. Just 16 when he joined the circuit, he was completely driven from the start. As if to underline how disappointing the comeback has been, the man himself did not enter the event. Ronnie O'Sullivan had not yet turned 18 but he'd already earned his nickname 'The Rocket' after winning a best-of-nine frame encounter in a record-breaking 43 minutes during his debut professional season (1992-93), in which he'd also claimed a maiden non-ranking title and qualified for his first World Championship, where he lost 10-7 to Alan McManus. But it was a strange feeling I had. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 1999 Grand Prix v Graeme Dott, 4. Discovery company. Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. "Hendry: "Well he can't become the youngest world champion"Davis: "But he is playing like Benjamin Button." It earned him 75 of the 11million+ he's now won 30 years later. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. 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 has won more ranking titles in snooker than any other player, just ahead of Stephen Hendry. He'd previously brushed aside Dott (6-3), Ding Junhui (6-2) and Jimmy White (6-1) as he continued to dazzle the crowds. I just try to enjoy the game, compete, try and enjoy what I do, and work hard at my game. 2023 Eurosport, a Warner Bros. Joe is a sub-editor for Sporting News UK. 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. He also had lost in the final in 1997, snapping a string of 30 straight wins in that event. What is the prize money at the 2022 World Snooker Championship? Hendry changed the way snooker was played, ushering in a more attacking era and establishing records that took decades to be matched. It was the biggest margin of victory in the tournament's final since Steve Davis whitewashed Mike Hallett 9-0 in 1988. The 1989-90 season was the beginning of Stephen Hendrys period of dominance, both in major tournaments and atop the world rankings. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is Joe Davis, who won 15 consecutive titles from 1927 to 1946. The groan of appreciation from Stephen Hendry accompanies it perfectly. Mon Oct 15 2018 - 13:17. 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. This is generally known as the start of the 'modern era'. 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. Then a week or so afterwards, I was like, OK, he's got the mantle now to live up to. 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 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. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2007 UK Championship - Mark Selby, 9. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2010 World Open - Mark King, 11. 2005: Wins his 36th and most recent ranking title at the Malta Cup. Hendry himself did not rule out someone overtaking his record eventually, even if the odds are against it. 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. The only trophies Hendry has ever wanted to handle are the ones he has won. Hendry was full-on attack, casting safety aside and always looking to open the balls and kill frames off in one visit. 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. Three months later he successfully defended the World Championship title for the first time in his career. 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. "I would say no, because there are so many great players competing against each other to win every tournament," he told BBC Sport. He practised with military discipline, watched over by his no-nonsense manager, Ian Doyle, and the rewards came quickly. 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. At the first World Team Cup in 1979, there was not even a Scottish team. 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. The Rocket not only equalled Steve Davis' record of six UK titles by defeating Shaun Murphy 10-5 but he also moved level with Stephen Hendry on 18 Triple Crown triumphs. Hendry jokes with ref, The seven-time world champion accepted a two-year wild card from former World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn at the outset of the 2020/21 season and played his first match since the 2012 World Championship when he lost 4-1 to. Final report: Ronnie O'Sullivan 18-8 Kyren Wilson, CLICK HERE FOR EVERY 147 BREAK IN SNOOKER HISTORY, WATCH ALL THE CRUCIBLE MAXIMUM BREAKS IN HISTOR, Richard Mann's story of the snooker season, Sporting Life exclusive: Neil Robertson interview, Nick Metcalfe on a decade of World Championship finals, World Championship memories: White always a People's Champion, World Championship memories: O'Sullivan's finest hour, World Championship memories: Higgins prevails but Trump grows, World Championship memories: Joe Johnson: The biggest shock, World Championship memories: 1984 World Championship stands out, World Championship: 6 (2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020), UK Championship: 7* (1993, 1997, 2001, 2007, 2014, 2017, 2018), Masters: 7* (1995, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017), Century breaks: 1,061* (179 at Crucible*). What TV channel is 2022 World Snooker Championship final? We look back at his 28. A ranking tournament is one that counts towards snooker's world rankings, which were introduced in the 1976-77 season. 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. Hendry, O'Sullivan, Davis and the players with the most trophies, Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? Hendry holds the record for the most seasons as the no.1 player; he was ranked no.1 for nine seasons. 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 has always played down his pursuit of the record and maintained that stance in his post-match press conference. 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. But in 2014,. We look back at his 28 years of astonishing milestones, achievements statistics, maximum breaks, and fan-pleasing antics. At 53, it is surely impossible for Hendry to recapture former glories. "I will try to keep expectations lowthe animal that I am, if I start to get form, then the expectations will rise. 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.. 1995: Beats Nigel Bond in the World Championship final. 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. Higgins was also 19 and just like O'Sullivan 12 months earlier, came through a qualifying event ranked 51 in the world. 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. It was the eighth maximum of his career and he followed it up by thrashing Stephen Maguire 10-2 for his fourth UK title. It takes too much time practicing getting out of snookers, I'd rather practice break building." Last updated on 2 May 20122 May 2012.From the section Snooker. However, this latest unforgettable run at an empty Crucible began with an astonishing 10-1 triumph over Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in just 108 minutes - the quickest best-of-19 frame match ever by 41 minutes - but he had to battle much harder to see off Ding Junhui and Mark Williams 13-10. Hendry continued his ascent in his third professional season, winning his first world ranking titles at the 1987 Rothmans Grand Prix and the 1988 British Open. Last week, he was thrashed 5-0 by Matthew Stevens in the German Masters qualifiers. Tribute to Stephen Hendry. Walter Donaldson became the world champion in the post-war era, but for a long time, Scotland lagged behind the other UK nations. Hendry, 43, retired on Tuesday after a 13-2 quarter-final defeat by Stephen Maguire . 'It makes me so angry!' With Judd, we all knew he wasn't playing his best. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. 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). There are some young prospects in Scotland, but not in the numbers of 30 years ago. 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. pic.twitter.com/kkjnHt983m. Hendry, 43, retired on Tuesday after a 13-2 quarter-final defeat by Stephen Maguire ended his 27th consecutive appearance at the Crucible. His 16 centuries in the 2002 world championship also set a record. He admired and coveted Daviss success and adopted his mindset. Prodigy then, legend now. He's an absolutely wonderful snooker player.. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2011 Paul Hunter Classic - Adam Duffy, 12. This remarkable completion of professional snookers Triple Crown by the young Hendry moved him into the No. 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. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is Joe Davis, who won 15 consecutive titles from 1927 to 1946. - Stunning clearance after big White miss, You have to write off the first year OSullivan on Hendry comeback, 'Youve got a long night ahead!' Welcome to my brand new YouTube channel, Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips. 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. 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. He had 24 hours to decide whether to take it and he could not resist. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. This is a shame as the audience at the Meadowbank Centre would surely love to salute him. 1 ranking for a period in 2005. BBC commentators and presenters for 2022 World Snooker Championship. He was that dominant. The age of professionalism in Scottish snooker came courtesy of a shy teenager who possessed a laser-like focus rarely witnessed before or since. His tour card was subsequently renewed for another two seasons.. All these matches are part of the process, and getting me comfortable in arenas again. Once he decided he'd be the greatest player in the world, he achieved that.". 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. '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. After winning his first World Championship in 1990, he became the youngest player ever to lift the title at 21. 1999: Wins his record seventh world title, seeing off Mark Williams in the final. 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. In recognition of his excellence in the sport, Hendry was knighted, receiving a MBE recognition in 1994. 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. Hendry had observed Steve Davis aloofness, the way he set himself apart from his rivals. 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. At 20, he captured the Masters and UK Championship, and at 21 was crowned the youngest ever world champion. Hendry, 43, retired on Tuesday after a 13-2 quarter-final defeat by Stephen Maguire ended his 27th consecutive appearance at the Crucible. 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? 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. Its now undisputed, if it wasnt already. And just as the 2017 sequel to Trainspotting doesnt alter the majesty of the original, Hendrys stuttering comeback doesnt change any of that. Harry Latham-Coyle. 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 changed the way snooker was played, ushering in a more attacking era and. '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 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. Enjoy. A ranking tournament is one that counts towards snooker's world rankings, which were introduced in the 1976-77 season. Who has won the most World Snooker Championship titles? Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed a record-breaking seventh UK Championship title with a 10-6 victory over Mark Allen at the York Barbican. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2018 China Open - Elliot Slessor, 15. 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. John Higgins has won four and is good enough to win another four; it is hard to say.". Career Total Statistics Tournament Record Most Frequent Opponents Rounds Reached Century Frequency Centuries per Season Graph Ranking History Prize Money History. "Obviously a name for the future. MORE:Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? 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. O'Sullivan stands on 69 wins from 92 matches played between 1993 and 2021. The result gained revenge from losing a deciding frame in that year's Charity Challenge final, in which Hendry scored an iconic maximum break. However, one big difference was how he approached the game itself. 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. "It's been an unbelievable career," Taylor told. The record was previously set by Stephen Hendry back in 1999. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is. 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. 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. 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. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Mark Allen, Ronnie O'Sullivan's seven UK Championship titles, Ronnie O'Sullivan is world champion for a sixth time, Ronnie O'Sullivan Fastest 147 Break Ever | 1997 Snooker World Championship | Eurosport, Ronnie O'Sullivan v James Wattana - 147 Break, Ronnie O'Sullivan v Graeme Dott 147 break, Ronnie O'Sullivan v Quinten Hann - 147 break, Must see!!! Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is. At 18, he won his first ranking title, the 1987 Grand Prix. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 1999 Welsh Open v James Wattana, 3. pic.twitter.com/jWWr6mfcAd. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. 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. 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. '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. 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. That's what a champion does, they don't play their best, they get to the final, and they still nearly win it. 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%. Ronnie O'Sullivan on whether he's just created the greatest sporting documentary of all time after giving it the fairytale ending. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stephen-Hendry, Electric Scotland - Biography of Stephen 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.