There have been as many as 20 rankings tournament in a single season in recent years. 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. 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. Turning professional at 17, Hendry made a strong start in his first season, winning the 1986 Scottish Professional 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. 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. There are some young prospects in Scotland, but not in the numbers of 30 years ago. His tour card was subsequently renewed for another two seasons.. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. 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. - Stunning clearance after big White miss, You have to write off the first year OSullivan on Hendry comeback, 'Youve got a long night ahead!' Copyright 2017-2023 Rookie Road Inc. All rights reserved. Steve Davis says he cannot imagine anyone bettering Stephen Hendry's tally of seven World Championship titles. 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. 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. What is the prize money at the 2022 World Snooker Championship? 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. 'One from the archives' - Hendry makes fantastic brown to win frame, 'That is the Hendry we remember well!' Once he decided he'd be the greatest player in the world, he achieved that.". 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). "It's been an unbelievable career," Taylor told BBC Radio 5 live. The groan of appreciation from Stephen Hendry accompanies it perfectly. **Hendry resumed playing in 2021 after nine years out, but his future on the tour is unclear. Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2014 Welsh Open - Ding Junhui, 13. Higgins, 47, continues to have a successful career at the top level with 31 ranking event victories to his name, including four world titles. Ranking the game's top five players in history, including World Championship stars. His top break of 141 was the highest in a World Championship final, beating O'Sullivan's previous best mark of 139 in 2001. He intends to continue playing, and his tour card has been renewed through 2024. 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*). Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan jointly hold the record for the most World Snooker Championship titles with seven. Later Career MORE:Is Ronnie O'Sullivan snooker's GOAT? We look back at his 28 years of astonishing milestones, achievements statistics, maximum breaks, and fan-pleasing antics. Discovery company. Stephen Hendry has opted out of entering the 2022 World Snooker Championship qualifiers only 12 months after returning following a nine-year absence. 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). He was that dominant. 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. Steve Davis says he cannot imagine anyone bettering Stephen Hendry's tally of seven World Championship titles. 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. One of snooker's all-time greats Scotland's 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. '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. At the end of the 198990 season, Hendry, at 21 years 106 days, topped Jimmy White 1812 to become the youngest world champion ever. His 16 centuries in the 2002 world championship also set a record. 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. 2023 Eurosport, a Warner Bros. Hendry was full-on attack, casting safety aside and always looking to open the balls and kill frames off in one visit. He has the record for most century breaks during a tournament, scoring 16 centuries during the 2002 World Snooker Championship. To qualify for that would be incredible. It takes too much time practicing getting out of snookers, I'd rather practice break building." He's an absolutely wonderful snooker player.. "The ultimate goal is to play one more match at the Crucible. 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. What Is The Prize of The World Snooker Championship? They each joined the pro circuit the following year. He competed in the World Amateur Championship that year, setting a record for being the youngest entrant ever.. Interviews over a few. Yes, that's yet another record and four clear of Hendry. 2014 UK Championship Final: Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Judd Trump DECIDER! 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 Scot finished as the year-end rankings leader for eight seasons in a row from 1989/90 to 1996/97. Ronnie's reply"I'm never going to be good at getting out of snookers. 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. Hendry has the longest unbeaten streak in ranking tournament play, winning 36 consecutive matches in 1990 and 1991. All rights reserved. Davis, 54, beat Hendry in the 1989 World Championship semi-finals en route to winning his last title at the Crucible, with Scotsman Hendry turning the tables at the same stage five years later. That's what a champion does, they don't play their best, they get to the final, and they still nearly win it. Earlier in the tournament he'd beaten Marcus Campbell (10-4), Ali Carter (13-8), Stuart Bingham (13-4) and Judd Trump 17-11. 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. "Hopefully, if I can keep getting better and keep improving, my technique becomes reliable and I can get to a better pace, then next year will be the goal to get back to the Crucible," he said after his win over old foe White last year. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. Selby clinched his fourth triumph this . Never, ever a dull moment watching Ronnie.pic.twitter.com/wIryNNsPha, Trying to get Ronnie O'Sullivan enthused about the excitement and romance of his own storylines is a tough gig. 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. It almost took the pressure off me kind of thing, not that I'm under pressure to do anything. Maybe they need another talisman to look up to, but the Hendrys of this world are rare. Mark Selby has been playing around 280 minutes to lead 5-4. "I would say no, because there are so many great players competing against each other to win every tournament," he told BBC Sport. Stephen Hendry has admitted he did not want Ronnie O'Sullivan to equal his haul of seven World Championship titles, and does not want him to surpass their now joint-record. SUBSCRIBE for the biggest and best videos from the only official World Snooker channel on YouTubeWebsite: www.wst.tvTwitter: @WeAreWSTFacebook: /WorldSnooker. Ronnie O'Sullivan's first TV appearance aged just 14 in 1990, making a break of 75. Stephen Gordon Hendry was born on January 13, 1969, in South Queensferry, Scotland. 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 also talks about whether it was extra motivation pic.twitter.com/n58nxPeGaK. The scene was vibrant. Photo: AP While Hendry is happy with his progress, he insisted that this was . 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. This remarkable completion of professional snookers Triple Crown by the young Hendry moved him into the No. As the Scottish Open begins in Edinburgh, its worth remembering that this had not always been the case. It was one of six tons he managed in the final - another record - and his victory at the age of 37 meant he was the oldest player since Ray Reardon in 1978 to become world champion. 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. Just by being here as world number one no less the Romford man was setting a record for most consecutive Crucible appearances with 30, a tally that is level with Steve Davis overall record. Enjoy. Tribute to Stephen Hendry. That year he also won the Australian Masters and successfully defended his Scottish Professional Championship and World Doubles Championship titles.. 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. 1996: Fifth consecutive world title comes with final victory over Peter Ebdon. Updates? 1999: Wins his record seventh world title, seeing off Mark Williams in the final. Stephen Hendry bestrode the sport in the 90s in an almost imperious way. 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. With Judd, we all knew he wasn't playing his best. 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. He had pushed his career earnings past 6.2 million (about $10 million) and by November had reclaimed his number one ranking. He practised with military discipline, watched over by his no-nonsense manager, Ian Doyle, and the rewards came quickly. 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. Three months later he successfully defended the World Championship title for the first time in his career. "Its just a number at the end of the day, I dont get too caught up with it to be honest with you.". But in 2014,. However, he began competing again in 2021. A series of records fell in his wake. I'm sure you're as excited watching at home as we are here." Hendry changed the way snooker was played, ushering in a more attacking era and establishing records that took decades to be matched. This is generally known as the start of the 'modern era'. 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. During this period in the early 1990s, a wave of Scottish talent flooded the professional ranks. In 2020, Hendry was offered an invitational wildcard by World Snooker Tour, making him eligible to compete again on the circuit. 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. His five match wins during this edition took him to 74 Crucible victories, four more than one of other Hendrys few remaining records. Evans slams 'disgusting' prize money in women's snooker as Baipat claims world title. 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. Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry has announced his retirement from snooker after a heavy 13-2 defeat by Stephen Maguire at the Crucible. In his Masters quarter-final against Marco Fu, Ronnie O'Sullivan fired in his 776th career century, taking him one . 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. 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. I'm enjoying the process.". "One thing you never stop missing as a sportsman is the buzz you get from a crowd. 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. Stephen Hendry: "Are you saying another record of mine is going? O'Sullivan has always played down his pursuit of the record and maintained that stance in his post-match press conference. As if to underline how disappointing the comeback has been, the man himself did not enter the event. He's going to be winning this a few times and the other guys better get their act together. Ronnie O'Sullivan on whether he's just created the greatest sporting documentary of all time after giving it the fairytale ending. "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. 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. 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). 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. He also had lost in the final in 1997, snapping a string of 30 straight wins in that event. Stephen Hendry believes Mark Selby to be a greater threat to his record of seven World Snooker Championship titles than Ronnie O'Sullivan, says Steve Davis. Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed a record-breaking seventh UK Championship title with a 10-6 victory over Mark Allen at the York Barbican. Tai Chengzhe/Visual China Group via Getty Images. At the moment it is about trying to get back to playing some good snooker.". It was the biggest margin of victory in the tournament's final since Steve Davis whitewashed Mike Hallett 9-0 in 1988. It was the eighth maximum of his career and he followed it up by thrashing Stephen Maguire 10-2 for his fourth UK title. 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. Ronnie O'Sullivan 775th Century with superb fluke! 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. At the age of 17 years and 358 days he became the youngest ever winner of a ranking event and that record still stands. 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. Prodigy then, legend now. Considering all categories of tournament, including ranking, non-ranking and invitational, Steve Davis has won the most titles in snooker. Welcome to my brand new YouTube channel, Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips. 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. Technically, the most successful player at the world championship is. "I can't really envisage it happening, there's just going to be more and more players knocking each other out.". 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. Why Do Snooker Players Use Their Chins When Shooting. In contrast, OSullivan has won his Crucible crowns over more than two decades, with his first coming in 2001 and his latest in 2022. But it was a strange feeling I had. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He had 24 hours to decide whether to take it and he could not resist. He repeated as world champ from 1992 to 1996. John Higgins has won four and is good enough to win another four; it is hard to say.". There were so many - 70 titles in total - that we had to settle on just a dozen. Remarkably, just like against Selby, this would be a match-winning 147 as he beat Mark Williams 13-7 in round two before seeing off Liang Wenbo (13-7) and Stephen Hendry (17-6) to reach the final. Mon Oct 15 2018 - 13:17. Ronnie O'Sullivan makes a maximum break 147 in 6 min on first frame! 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. 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 - 2007 UK Championship - Mark Selby, 9. 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. Any excuse to dig this uppic.twitter.com/hzoGnnsx9W, 1. 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. When the 96/97 season began, there were nine Scots ranked inside the top 64 and plenty more coming up on the rails. Discovery company. Joe is a sub-editor for Sporting News UK. 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. He said: "I think it meant more to him than it does to me, to have seven world titles. 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. Discovery company. "I can't see Stephen changing his mind; once he decides on something, that's it. 'Feels amazing' Higgins ends 13-month title drought by retaining Championship League crown, Watch Robertson produce magic as Trump leads final Championship League group. 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. Who has won the most World Snooker Championship titles? 'It makes me so angry!' What is the prize money at the 2022 World Snooker Championship? Just 16 when he joined the circuit, he was completely driven from the start. 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. Career Total Statistics Tournament Record Most Frequent Opponents Rounds Reached Century Frequency Centuries per Season Graph Ranking History Prize Money History. Maybe not that night, because there's still a little bit of sadness that he equalled my record. To be fair, Hendry had done everything to lower expectations. 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. 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. At 19 years and 69 days, O'Sullivan became the youngest Masters champion and that record stands today. 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. 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.. I can't explain it. He represented his nation at the highest level of a hugely popular sport with distinction, winning 36 ranking tournaments including seven World Championships. Once again, Hendry was setting records, with an unprecedented seventh world title. 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.