Ronnie O'Sullivan
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Nickname | The Rocket[1] |
---|---|
Professional | 1992– |
Highest ranking | 1 (5 years) |
Current ranking | 5 (as of 16 July 2024) |
Century breaks | 1,265 (as of 3 August 2024) |
Tournament wins | |
Ranking | 22 |
World Champion | 2001, 2004, 2008 |
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan (born 5 December 1975 in Wordsley, West Midlands),[2][3] nicknamed "The Rocket" due to his rapid playing style, is an English professional snooker player. He has been World Champion on three occasions (2001, 2004 and 2008), and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million,[4] behind only Stephen Hendry. O'Sullivan has been the world's no. 1 player on five occasions, has won a total of 22 ranking titles, and is second, again behind Hendry, on the list of competitive century breaks. O'Sullivan has compiled a record 10 maximum breaks in professional competition.
O'Sullivan is considered by many fans, critics and fellow professionals, including Hendry and Steve Davis, as the most naturally talented player in the history of the game.[5] He has also been involved in a number of controversial incidents during his career.[5]
Career
Early career
O'Sullivan grew up, and still lives, in the exclusive Manor Road area in Chigwell, Essex[6]. He attended Wanstead High School.[7] He began his snooker career at an early age, first achieving a century break at the age of 10 (making 117). He scored a 147 or maximum break at 15, and turned professional at 16. He won his first 38 matches as a professional – a record that still stands[8] – on his way to the 1993 World Championship, where he remains the youngest-ever player to qualify. He lost in the first round 7–10 to Alan McManus, and in the following season he was ranked 57. He became the youngest-ever winner of a ranking tournament when, aged 17, he won the 1993 UK Championship, beating Stephen Hendry in the final, and starting one of the most prominent rivalries in the sport. In 1995, he won his first Masters title.
In the 1996 World Championship, snooker's governing body found him guilty of assaulting Mike Ganley, then a media official, now the tournament director.[9] He was given a two-year suspended sentence and a £20,000 fine, and advised to donate £10,000 to charity.[2]
On 21 April 1997, in the first round of the World Championship against Mick Price, he made the fastest-recorded maximum break, completed in 5 minutes and 20 seconds – an average of one shot every 9 seconds.[10] In November, he won his second UK title, beating Hendry 10–6 in the final.
After winning the 1998 Irish Masters against Ken Doherty, he was stripped of his title and disqualified after a drug test found cannabis in his system. The trophy then went to Doherty. Doherty rejected the trophy, as he felt he did not deserve to win. He did, however, accept the prize money of £90,000.[11]
O'Sullivan made it to the semi–finals of the 1999 World Championship, but lost 13–17 to Stephen Hendry. The last four frames of the third session featured four successive centuries: two from Hendry and two from O'Sullivan. Following his solid performance during the previous year, O'Sullivan's promising campaign in the 1999/2000 season (during which he won three ranking titles) ended in disappointment. He was a favourite for the 2000 world title, especially after an unexpected loss by Hendry to Stuart Bingham in the first round, but O'Sullivan was also eliminated in the first round by David Gray, who struggled back from 1–5 and 7–9 down to edge out O'Sullivan 10–9 for a place in the second round. In that match, O'Sullivan made five centuries (three in consecutive frames, equalling the record held by John Higgins), all to no avail, while Gray recorded four.
In 2001, O'Sullivan claimed his first World Championship title (which he dedicated to his father), with an 18–14 victory over Higgins, and his third UK title, with a 10–1 victory over Doherty. He began the 2002/2003 season ranked number 1.
After the first world title
In 2002 at the World Championship Hendry and O'Sullivan were set to meet in the semi–finals, O'Sullivan having edged out Stephen Lee in his quarter-final match, 13–10, and Hendry having won his quarter-final match against Doherty. At a pre-match interview, O'Sullivan said, referring to a previous match against Hendry in 1999, "I know if I do get beat, and he comes up and does a moonie in front of me and goes 'Ne ne ne', I'll just look at him and say 'well done', and say 'go back to your sad little life'.[12] In the match, O'Sullivan had the better of the first day's play, opening up an 8–5 lead; but on the second day, Hendry rallied to reach 12–12 before going into the final session. Hendry subsequently outplayed O'Sullivan and won by 17 frames to 13. After the match, O'Sullivan accused Hendry of poor sportsmanship, referring to his conduct over a "miss" shot at an unnamed prior tournament.[13] Hendry didn't comment on his opponent's outburst, although O'Sullivan did receive some criticism for his remarks from Steve Davis, Dennis Taylor and Clive Everton. O'Sullivan later apologised to Hendry for his comments.[14]
Another successful season followed in 2002/2003, with O'Sullivan reaching the last 16 of seven ranking tournaments, and winning the Scottish Masters, the European Open and Irish Masters, defeating Higgins in the Scottish and Irish finals, and Hendry in the European, and starting the 2003 World Championship as runaway favourite. O'Sullivan's season ended on a disappointing note, however, when he was knocked out in the first round for the third time in his career, losing 6–10 to the unseeded Marco Fu, despite making four century breaks, including another maximum 147 break, in the match. This defeat saw him drop to number 3 in the rankings.
In 2004, O'Sullivan's father telephoned 1970s six-time World Champion Ray Reardon, and asked if he could give O'Sullivan some advice.[15] With Reardon's backing, O'Sullivan recovered his form and claimed the World Championship, beating Graeme Dott very convincingly in the final, by 18 frames to 8. He lost the first five frames of the match, however, which he attributed to his opponent's (and O'Sullivan's former) coach's mind games – entering O'Sullivan's dressing room minutes before the match.[16] He also beat Hendry 17–4 in the semi–final – the most one-sided defeat ever in a World Championship semi–final.[17] O'Sullivan was ranked number one for the next two seasons.
2004/2005
O'Sullivan next won the season's Masters and Welsh Open titles. However, he missed the China Open on medical grounds; this was criticised by Anthony Hamilton, who said that O'Sullivan has a duty to promote the sport.[18]
In the World Championship, O'Sullivan lost to Peter Ebdon in the quarter-final. From 2–8 down, Ebdon began a comeback and eventually won 13–11, by playing in an exceptionally determined and dogged style, with many observers accusing him of deliberate slow play to disrupt O'Sullivan's fast game.[19] After the match, O'Sullivan indicated to the press that he was unlikely to compete in the following season, and perhaps even would retire from the sport altogether.[20] However, in September 2005, he announced that he would play a truncated 2005/2006 season and spend some time playing eight-ball in the United States after being chosen to compete on the elite International Pool Tour.[21][22] It turned out, however, that the IPT pool tournament in which O'Sullivan was to make his début clashed with the defence of his Premier League Snooker title. Plans were changed accordingly, and O'Sullivan went on to beat Hendry 6–0 with four century breaks.
2005/2006
After a comprehensive 2–9 loss to John Higgins in the final of the Grand Prix, O'Sullivan reached the final of the Masters, only to lose again 9–10 to Higgins. In his first-round match with Mark King at the UK Championship, O'Sullivan sat with a wet towel draped over his head for most of the contest.[23]
The 2006 World Championship began with O'Sullivan defeating Dave Harold 10–4, followed by a struggle through 13–10 in the second-round match against Welshman Ryan Day. A similar quarter-final match ensued against Mark Williams. O'Sullivan led 10–6 going into the final session. A fightback from Williams saw him take the lead by winning the next five frames, but O'Sullivan held his nerve to take the match 13–11, and faced Graeme Dott in the semi–finals. Dott took an early lead before O'Sullivan drew level at 8–8 at the end of the second session. Cue-tip problems which had dogged O'Sullivan throughout the event recurred, including an incident in which television footage appeared to show O'Sullivan deliberately removing the tip of his cue. This secured him a 15-minute break to re-tip the cue, before he returned and made a 124 break. Tournament Director Mike Ganley accepted the player's assurance that the tip had simply fallen off, and no censure was made.[24] The incident drew criticism from his opponent,[25] and from Steve Davis and John Parrott.[26] Dott then took all eight frames of the third session, leaving him one frame away from his second final in three years. The final session saw O'Sullivan stage a minor fightback, taking three frames in a row before a mistake let Dott back in for an eventual clearance on the black. After Dott's win, O'Sullivan gave his cue and case to a boy in the crowd.[27] BBC claims he had used as many as 21 different tips during the fortnight;[24] O'Sullivan later stated he had used seven tips before arriving in Sheffield, and a further eight during the week,[27] and that he would return next season with a new cue from cuemaker John Parris.
O'Sullivan's decision not to enter the Malta Cup cost him the number one rank for the following season.
2006/2007
On his way to the final of the Northern Ireland Trophy, which he lost 6–9 to Ding Junhui, he defeated semi–final opponent Dominic Dale 6–0, in a record 53 minutes for a best-of-11 frame match.[28][29]
In December 2006, in his quarter-final match of the UK Championship against Hendry, O'Sullivan conceded in dramatic fashion part-way into the sixth frame of the best-of-17 match. He had gone 0–4 down after a strong start from Hendry, before finally taking a frame back. At the beginning of the sixth frame, O'Sullivan opened with a break of 24, before leaving himself a difficult shot from black to red. After missing the red, he calmly shook the hand of both Hendry (saying to him that he "had enough of it, mate") and the match referee, Jan Verhaas, and walked out of the arena, stunning everyone present. The incident caused minor disruption to the other quarter-final match, between Graeme Dott and Steve Davis, being played simultaneously in the same arena. Dott later said that he initially thought that O'Sullivan and Hendry were having a fight when he heard an audience member shout "Get a grip, Ronnie".[30] It was later officially confirmed that O'Sullivan had forfeited the match, which was awarded 9–1 to Hendry. The World Snooker Association announced that the fans who had travelled to watch the match would get next-day tickets for free by way of compensation.[31] O’Sullivan issued a statement later that day, apologising and saying that he would be "back on his feet fighting stronger and harder than ever very soon".[30] On 31 May 2007, World Snooker fined O'Sullivan a total of £20,800 and docked him 900 ranking points over this incident.[32][33]
O'Sullivan returned to action at the Masters, to a mixed response from the audience (he was booed and clapped in equal measure). He won his first round match on 16 January 2007 against Ali Carter 6–1, making two centuries in the process. However, he then created more controversy by failing to attend a post-match press conference.[34] He did record a short interview with Steve Davis for the BBC, stating that he was much happier than at the UK Championship, and that he was playing well once again. Sir Rodney Walker later issued a statement that said O'Sullivan had been excused from dealing with the media because of the exceptional circumstances affecting him.[35] This decision was criticised by Shaun Murphy[36] and Ken Doherty.[37] O'Sullivan went on to win the tournament against Ding Junhui on 21 January 2007. In the match, he was noted for his good sportsmanship by Steve Davis, specifically for comforting Ding after the twelfth frame, during which Ding had become visibly upset by an overly partisan member of the crowd, who was later ejected. O'Sullivan was leading 9–3 at the time, and won the next frame for a 10–3 victory.[38]
O'Sullivan went out of the Malta Cup with a 3–5 loss to Michael Holt in the first round. Later, during the Welsh Open, O'Sullivan announced that his technique would be undergoing major changes, as he was unhappy with his recent performances. These included a 4–5 reverse to Neil Robertson in the quarter-finals.
In his quarter-final match against Joe Swail at the Irish Masters, O'Sullivan knocked in a 147 on his way to a narrow 5–4 victory. Because the table used did not have officially ratified pockets, however, O'Sullivan's maximum achieved upon it does not count towards his official total.[6] The organisers had initially offered a car to any player who completed a maximum break, but were unable to keep their promise. O'Sullivan defeated John Higgins (6–5) in another decider played later that evening, then easily overcame Barry Hawkins 9–1 in the final, becoming the first winner of the new Paul Hunter Trophy, awarded to him by Paul's widow Lyndsey.
Just before the World Championship, in which he had a first-round match with Ding Junhui again, O'Sullivan claimed that the draw was fixed. This was subsequently denied by World Snooker[39] and O'Sullivan later retracted his accusation.[40] In the end, O'Sullivan won the tie easily, by 10 frames to 2. He also won his second-round match against Robertson 13–10 (in spite of losing six frames in a row at one point), before losing his quarter-final match 9–13 against eventual tournament winner John Higgins.
2007/2008
O'Sullivan withdrew from the first ranking event of the season, the Shanghai Masters, citing back problems for which doctors had advised him not to travel. He also chose not to enter the invitational Pot Black tournament.
He made the final of the Grand Prix, but lost 6–9 against Marco Fu.
During the Northern Ireland Trophy, he set a new record, by compiling five centuries in a 5–2 win (over Ali Carter). This also included his seventh, official competitive 147 maximum break.[41] O'Sullivan went out of the tournament in the next round, having lost against Fergal O'Brien.
On 2 December 2007, he won a fourth consecutive (and record seventh in total) Premier League Snooker title, by beating John Higgins in the final by a score of 7–4.
On 15 December 2007, O'Sullivan compiled his eighth maximum break in competition, in the deciding frame of his UK Championship semi–final against Mark Selby at Telford, equalling Hendry's record.[42] In doing so, O'Sullivan also became only the third person in professional competition to compile a maximum to win a match. Hendry had made the first against O'Sullivan in the 1997 Liverpool Victoria Charity Challenge final, and Mark Williams had made the second, at the Crucible in the first round of the 2005 World Championship. O'Sullivan is also the second player (after John Higgins) to make 147 breaks in two consecutive ranking tournaments (2007 Northern Ireland Trophy and 2007 Maplin UK Championship). He then went on to win the tournament, beating Stephen Maguire 10–2 in the final (from 8–0 up), thereby receiving a £100,000 cheque for winning his first ranking tournament in almost three years.[43]
At the Masters on 12 January, Stephen Maguire edged out O'Sullivan in a tense final frame to win their first-round match at Wembley. In the battle of the top two players in the provisional world rankings, O'Sullivan fought back from 4–1 down to level at 5–5 and take the match into a deciding eleventh frame. But O'Sullivan missed a relatively simple final blue with the rest, when poised to win the match, allowing Maguire to reach the quarter-finals.[44]
After withdrawing from the invitational Malta Cup O'Sullivan returned at the Welsh Open in February. Playing a good tournament, he reached the final against Selby. Although O'Sullivan led 8–5, Selby won the last four frames to beat him 9–8.[45]
O'Sullivan was present at the China Open, in Beijing, where he lost 4–5 to Marco Fu in the first round. However, at the press conference, which followed the match, O'Sullivan was heard making some lewd remarks inviting a member of the press to perform fellatio on him, then laughing with the World Snooker media spokesman. O'Sullivan also joked about the size and girth of his penis, before simulating a sexual act on his microphone.[46] In June 2008, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association punished O'Sullivan for his behaviour by docking the appearance money and world ranking points that he had earned from the event.[47]
He compiled a record-breaking ninth competitive maximum break[48] at the Crucible against Mark Williams at the 2008 World Championships. It was his third of the season, and also his third maximum at the Crucible. It was the fourth maximum to be compiled in a winning frame of a match (following Hendry, Williams, and O'Sullivan himself). Interviewed by Steve Davis just after beating Williams 13–7, he said "I can finally buy a Bentley Continental GT".[49] Soon after potting the final black, snooker legend and commentator Dennis Taylor labelled O'Sullivan as a "total genius".[50] However, O'Sullivan's 147 was equalled by Ali Carter in the same tournament, thus halving the prize money.[51] O'Sullivan defeated Liu Chuang, Mark Williams, Liang Wenbo and Stephen Hendry en route to the final of the tournament. He then beat Carter 18–8 for the title on 5 May. In an interview after his third world-title win, he hinted again that he may not play in the 2008/2009 season, but also stated that he might go on to pursue many more world titles.[52]
At the end of the season, O'Sullivan, along with Williams and Maguire, left management company 110sport to join Romford-based Grove Leisure.[53]
2008/2009
He began the new season by winning the Northern Ireland Trophy, defeating Dave Harold 9–3 in the final. O'Sullivan is the only player to win back-to-back ranking events in the last four years.[54]
O'Sullivan then reached the final of the Shanghai Masters. He defeated Stephen Maguire in the semi–finals with two high breaks, of 141 and 145. However, in the final, he was beaten by qualifier Ricky Walden 10–8. O'Sullivan was leading, but Walden pulled back four straight frames in a row to win the match.
In the Premier League, he secured a 7–2 win over Mark Selby, which meant that he had won the event eight times in total, and five times consecutively. However, O'Sullivan failed to defend his UK Championship title, losing to Joe Perry 5–9 in the second round. O'Sullivan had conceded the twelfth game of the match to go 5–7 down, although Perry held a lead of only 23 points to zero. Commenting afterwards, O'Sullivan said that "it might have looked like I lost my head or whatever, but I'm sure I'll bounce back."[55] For this he was later fined £300, and was ordered to pay £1000 in costs.[56][57][58]
In the Masters, O'Sullivan reached the final by beating Joe Perry, Ali Carter and Stephen Maguire. In a tense final against defending champion Mark Selby, neither player was able to obtain a sizeable lead, with frames littered with both big breaks and close finishes. After leading 3–1, O'Sullivan ended the afternoon session at 4–4, and took the first frame of the evening session. Selby, however, then won the next 3 frames to lead 7–5. O'Sullivan responded by taking three frames in succession himself, to lead 8–7. The following two frames were shared, and at 9–8, after both players had wasted chances, O'Sullivan constructed a break of 55, beating Mark Selby 10–8 and thereby claiming the title for the fourth time. In doing this, he became only the second player, after Stephen Hendry, to win the trophy more than three times. In his post-match interview, O'Sullivan proclaimed his victory, composed with a cue that he had obtained only the previous Saturday, as his greatest achievement in snooker.[59] On the way to his fourth title, O'Sullivan surpassed Stephen Hendry's century-break record in the event, bringing his total to 44 as of 2009. He also contributed to the record-breaking 32 century breaks compiled over the course of the tournament, which was six more than the previous record of 26, compiled in 2007.
In the 2009 World Championship, O'Sullivan compiled three centuries in his first match, against Stuart Bingham. In the second frame, he compiled a 140 break, in a later frame he also achieved a break of 104, the 14th frame he scored a clearance of 103. He was defeated in the second round 11–13 by Mark Allen after leading 9–7.[60]
2009/2010
He began the season by winning the Shanghai Masters, defeating Liang Wenbo 10–5 in the final. On the way to reach the final he lost only 6 frames. He beat Graeme Dott 5–0 in the first round, Marco Fu 5–2 in the second round, Ding Junhui 5–3 in the quarter-finals, and John Higgins 6–1 in the semi–finals .[61] After his Shanghai Masters victory he joined the newly founded Snooker Players Association.[62]
In the second ranking event, the Grand Prix, he beat Jamie Burnett in the first round 5–3, but then lost narrowly against John Higgins in the second round 4–5.[63]
On 29 November 2009, O'Sullivan did not retain his Premier League Snooker title, with Shaun Murphy defeating him 7–3 in the final.[64]
Following his 9–3 victory over Matthew Stevens in the first round of the UK Championship on 7 December 2009, O'Sullivan caused controversy in his post-match press conference. He described the outgoing regime at the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (headed by Sir Rodney Walker) as "a cancer running through the game" and also said, "Leukaemia has set in". He went on to endorse the new era of snooker, headed by Barry Hearn.[65] He then won his next two matches, 9–3 against Peter Ebdon in the last 16, and Mark Selby in the quarter-finals, before losing the semi–final 8–9 to John Higgins, despite coming back from 2–8 to 8–8.[66]
O'Sullivan began the defence of his Masters title by defeating Australian Neil Robertson 6–4 in the first round, after trailing 0–3.[67] After this, he defeated Peter Ebdon in the quarter final 6–3 to reach the semi–finals.[68] There he beat Mark Williams 6–5 to reach his 6th Masters final in 7 years.[69] O'Sullivan met Mark Selby in the final for the second consecutive year[70], but he lost 9–10, despite leading 9–6.[71]
In the Welsh Open, he reached the semi–finals by beating Stuart Bingham 5–1 in the first round, Jamie Cope 5–0 in the second round, and Mark Allen 5–2 in the quarter-finals, but lost 4–6 against John Higgins in the semi–finals.[72]
O'Sullivan lost 3–5 in the first round of the China Open against 22-year-old wild card Tian Pengfei. In the eighth frame, O'Sullivan missed the final black from the spot (a pot that would have levelled the match); the ball finished over the pocket, and O'Sullivan conceded frame and match. With this, he also lost his chance to defend his official World No. 1 spot.[73]
At the World Championship, he defeated Liang Wenbo 10–7 in the first round[74] and Mark Williams 13–10 in the second round[75], before losing 11–13 to Mark Selby in the quarter-finals.[76]
2010/2011
O'Sullivan began the 2010/2011 season at the Event 1 of the Players Tour Championship, where he lost in the quarter-finals against Jamie Cope 0–4.[77] O'Sullivan next competed at event Event 4, where reached the final. He lost against Barry Pinches 3–4.[78] At the World Open O'Sullivan made his record 10th maximum break in the last frame of his match against Mark King, which he won 3–0.[79] However, he had to be persuaded by referee Jan Verhaas to play the final black, as he became aware that there was only £4,000 prize money for a maximum break in the tournament. Even then, O'Sullivan played the final ball faster and harder than usual, seemingly unconcerned as to whether he made the pot or not.[80]
Playing style
O'Sullivan plays in a fast and attacking manner. He is a prolific breakbuilder and solid tactical player, although he has stated his disdain for long, drawn-out games, saying that it harms the game of snooker.[81] He is a good front-runner, although tends to become demoralised when behind and not playing well, and is liable to lose multiple consecutive frames.[82] When behind and needing snookers, he tends to concede more often than other players, although after Ray Reardon's coaching he does seem to carry on with the frame a lot more than previously.
O'Sullivan is right-handed, but can play to a high standard with his left hand. While not quite possessing the same power in his left arm, being ambidextrous enables him to attempt shots with his left hand that would otherwise require awkward cueing with a rest or spider.[83] O'Sullivan sometimes plays with a variety of bridge hands.
When he first displayed this left-handed ability in the 1996 World Championship against Alain Robidoux, the Canadian accused him of disrespect. O'Sullivan responded that he played better with his left hand than Robidoux could with his right.[8] O'Sullivan was summoned to a disciplinary hearing in response to Robidoux's formal complaint, where he had to prove that he could play to a high level with his left hand. He played three frames of snooker against former world championship runner-up Rex Williams, winning all three. The charge of bringing the game into disrepute was subsequently dropped.[84]
Status
He is considered by many to be the most naturally talented player in the history of the sport,[85] with some labelling him a 'genius'.[86][87] Several of his peers regard him as the greatest player ever,[15][88][89][90] although a temperamental streak sometimes lead to a lack of confidence or interest,[2] and he has performed inconsistently throughout his controversial career thus far,[91] with observers noting the 'two Ronnies' aspect of his character.[92][93] According to Stephen Hendry after his defeat at the 2008 World Championship, "O'Sullivan is the best player in the world by a country mile".[94]
O'Sullivan is one of the most popular players on the circuit[95] and is noted for being a 'showman'.[96] He is perhaps the biggest draw in the game today,[97] and has helped improve the image of snooker to the general public.[86][98] O'Sullivan himself has stated his desire for entertaining the watching public, and said that slow, gritty games put viewers off.[99]
He has often been compared to Alex Higgins and Jimmy White because of both his natural talent and popularity.[83]
O'Sullivan has compiled over 600 competitive centuries during his career, second only to Hendry.[6][100]
Personal life
He has been labelled a perfectionist,[101] and highly self-critical,[102] even in victory.[52][103] He suffers from clinical depression and has had drug-related problems.[104]
O'Sullivan and girlfriend Jo Langley – whom he met at Narcotics Anonymous[105] – have a daughter, Lily Jo (born February 2006, Redbridge, Greater London), and a son, Ronnie, (born 12 June 2007).[106] He was reported to have split with Jo in early June 2008.[107] He has another daughter, Taylor-Ann (born in 1997), from a previous relationship.
In 2003, media sources carried reports that O'Sullivan had converted to Islam, but despite his self-professed interest in the faith these reports were proven to be false.[108][109][110] O'Sullivan also espouses an interest in Buddhism,[111] having spent many lunchtimes at the London Buddhist Centre in Bethnal Green. However, he denies having a firm commitment to any religion.[112]
One of O'Sullivan's hobbies is auto racing. In 2004, he appeared on Top Gear as the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car", and finished with a time of 1:47.3 around the test track in a Suzuki Liana.[113][114] He also succeeded in clearing a snooker table of four reds plus all the colours faster than the Stig was able to drive O'Sullivan's own Mercedes SL 500, with its "147" number plate, around the track. Over the 15–16 August 2009 weekend, in the Volkswagen Racing Cup at Silverstone using a Volkswagen Jetta with the car number "147". He drove two 20-minute rounds.[115] In the first round he spun off into a gravel trap, but fared better in the second, in which he finished 14th.[116]
Performance and rankings timeline
Tournament | 1992/ 93 |
1993/ 94 |
1994/ 95 |
1995/ 96 |
1996/ 97 |
1997/ 98 |
1998/ 99 |
1999/ 00 |
2000/ 01 |
2001/ 02 |
2002/ 03 |
2003/ 04 |
2004/ 05 |
2005/ 06 |
2006/ 07 |
2007/ 08 |
2008/ 09 |
2009/ 10 |
2010/ 11 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ranking | UR[nb 1] | 57 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Ranking Tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||
Shanghai Masters | Not Held | 1R | F | W | 1R | ||||||||||||||
World Open[nb 2] | 1R | 1R | QF | 1R | 2R | 3R | 3R | QF | F | QF | QF | 2R | W | F | QF | F | QF | 2R | |
UK Championship | 1R | W | QF | QF | 1R | W | 1R | QF | SF | W | QF | SF | 2R | 1R | QF | W | 2R | SF | |
German Masters[nb 3] | Not Held | 1R | W | SF | NR | Not Held | |||||||||||||
Welsh Open | 1R | 1R | QF | 2R | 2R | 4R | SF | 3R | 2R | 2R | QF | W | W | 2R | QF | F | 2R | SF | |
China Open[nb 4] | Not Held | NR | 2R | W | W | QF | Not Held | 1R | 1R | SF | 1R | QF | 1R | ||||||
World Championship | 1R | 2R | QF | SF | 2R | SF | SF | 1R | W | SF | 1R | W | QF | SF | QF | W | 2R | QF | |
Non-Ranking Tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||
The Masters | A | WR | W | F | F | QF | QF | QF | 1R | QF | QF | F | W | F | W | 1R | W | F | |
Premier League | RR | RR | RR | RR | W | RR | A | SF | W | W | SF | A | W | W | W | W | W | F | |
Former Ranking Tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||
Scottish Open[nb 5] | 2R | LQ | 3R | 1R | QF | W | 2R | W | 2R | 2R | 3R | QF | Not Held | ||||||
British Open | LQ | W | F | SF | 1R | QF | 3R | SF | QF | SF | 3R | F | SF | Not Held | |||||
Irish Masters | Non-Ranking Event | W | QF | W | NH | NR | Not Held | ||||||||||||
Malta Cup[nb 6] | QF | F | SF | 1R | 1R | NH | 1R | Not Held | QF | W | QF | 2R | A | 1R | NR | Not Held | |||
Northern Ireland Trophy | Not Held | NR | F | QF | W | Not Held | |||||||||||||
Former Non-Ranking Tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||
Scottish Masters | A | A | A | SF | QF | QF | W | QF | W | F | W | Not Held | |||||||
Irish Masters | A | A | 1R | QF | SF | DQ | QF | SF | W | QF | Ranking Event | NH | W | Not Held |
Performance Table Legend | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
LQ | lost in qualifying draw | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) |
QF | advanced to but not past the quarterfinals |
SF | advanced to but not past the semi–finals | F | advanced to the final, tournament runner-up | W | won the tournament |
DQ | disqualified from the tournament | A | did not participate in the tournament | 1R | withdrew from the tournament |
NH / Not Held | means an event was not held. | |||
NR / Non-Ranking Event | means an event is/was no longer a ranking event. |
- ^ New players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking.
- ^ The event run under different name as LG Cup (2001/2002-2003/2004) and Grand Prix (1984/1985-2000/2001 and 2004/2005-2009/2010
- ^ The event run under different name as German Open (1995/1996-1997/1998)
- ^ The event run under different names as China International (1998/1999)
- ^ The event run under different names such as International Open (1992/1993–1996/1997) and Players Championship (2003/2004)
- ^ The event run under different names such as European Open (1988/1989-1996/1997 and 2001/2002-2003/2004) and Irish Open (1998/1999)
Career finals
Ranking event finals: 32 (22 titles, 10 runner-ups)
Non-ranking event finals: 34 (22 titles, 12 runner-ups)
|
Minor-ranking event finals: 1 (1 runner-up)
Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
Runner-up | 1 | 2010 | Players Tour Championship – Event 4 | ![]() |
3–4 |
Team event finals: 1 (1 title)
Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
Winner | 1 | 2000 | Nations Cup (with team England) | ![]() |
6–4 |
Amateur finals: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)
Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
Winner | 1 | 1988 | British Under-16 Championship | ![]() |
|
Runner-up | 1 | 1991 | English Amateur Championship | ![]() |
10–13 |
Winner | 2 | 1991 | IBSF World Under-21 Championship | ![]() |
11–4 |
Winner | 3 | 1991 | Junior Pot Black | ![]() |
References
- ^ "Ronnie O'Sullivan". World Snooker Tour. Archived from the original on 16 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ a b c "Rocket goes off again". BBC Sport. 2006-12-14. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
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- ^ "Rocket Ron eyes new wheels after a brilliant 147". This Is Local London. 2008-04-28. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ a b "Ronnie O'Sullivan, "The Rocket"". snookerclub.com. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
- ^ Yates, Phil (2007-05-04). "Top five controversial incidents". London: The Times. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
- ^ "Various Snooker Records". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
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- ^ Yates, Phil (2004-04-29). "Hendry ready to resume O'Sullivan rivalry". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-06-16.
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- ^ "Masters final – frame by frame". BBC Sport. 2007-01-21. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
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- ^ Viner, Brian (2007-04-20). "Interview: Snooker player Ding Junhui". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
- ^ Yates, Phil (2007-11-08). "Peerless O'Sullivan raises the bar". London: The Times. Retrieved 2007-12-05.
- ^ "O'Sullivan fires 147 to pip Selby". BBC Sport. 2010-02-20. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
- ^ Kállai, Péter (2007-12-07). "Ronnie O'Sullivan nyerte az Egyesült Királyság Bajnokságát" (in Hungarian). Nemzeti Sport. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
- ^ "O'Sullivan exits in Masters epic". BBC Sport. 2010-02-20. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
- ^ "Selby comeback stuns O'Sullivan". BBC Sport. 2010-02-20. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
- ^ Hendon, David (2008-03-27). "O'Sullivan under fire after making lewd remarks". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "O'Sullivan punished for China behaviour". London: The Times. 2008-06-09. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ Harris, Nick (2008-04-29). "O'Sullivan pockets record ninth 147". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "O'Sullivan 147 sees off Williams". BBC Sport. 2008-04-28. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ Maume, Chris (2008-05-10). "Sport on TV: Cue Ronnie, conducting his music of the spheres". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "Carter hits historic Crucible 147". BBC Sport. 2008-04-29. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
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- ^ "O'Sullivan quits 110sport". Snooker Scene Blog. 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
(help)|publisher=
- ^ "Classy O'Sullivan wins NI Trophy". BBC Sport. 2008-08-31. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ "Dismal O'Sullivan falls to defeat". BBC Sport. 2008-12-16. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ "'Rocket' Fined For Quitting Frame". Sporting Life. 2009-08-18. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ^ "Contrite O'Sullivan handed fine". BBC Sport. 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ^ "Quick quit decision costly for Ronnie O'Sullivan". Evening Standard. 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ^ "Ronnie – My Greatest Achievement". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "Awesome Allen shocks O'Sullivan". BBC Sport. 2009-04-25. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
- ^ "O'Sullivan seals Shanghai Masters". BBC Sport. 2009-09-12. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
- ^ "Ronnie joins the SPA". Foul4.com. 2009-09-19. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- ^ "Higgins Edges Glasgow Thriller". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ "Murphy ends Ronnie's reign". Sky Sports. 2009-11-30. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ "Ronnie Slams Snooker's Old Regime". Supreme Snooker. 2009-12-08. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
- ^ "John Higgins edges Ronnie O'Sullivan to make UK final". BBC Sport. 2009-12-12. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
- ^ "O'Sullivan through to Masters semi-final". BBC News. 2010-01-12. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|source=
ignored (help) - ^ "Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Peter Ebdon in Masters quarters". Eurosport. 14 January 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
- ^ "Rocket On Cloud Nine After Wembley Classic". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 2010-01-16. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
- ^ "Selby sets up Rocket rematch". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 2010-01-16. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
- ^ "Mark Selby shocks Ronnie O'Sullivan at Masters final". BBC Sport. 2010-01-18. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
- ^ "Higgins Downs The Rocket". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ "Rocket Falls To Potting Prince Pengfei". WSA. 31 March 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
- ^ "O'Sullivan survives scare". EuroSport. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
- ^ "Brilliant O'Sullivan marches on". Eurosport. 26 April 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
- ^ "Superb Selby stuns O'Sullivan". Eurosport. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
- ^ "Players Tour Championship 1 Drawsheet". worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 18 June 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
- ^ "Players Tour Championship 4 Drawsheet". worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
- ^ "Perfect Ten For Ronnie". worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 20 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ "Ronnie O'Sullivan hits cheeky 147 break in World Open". worldsnooker.com. BBC Sport. 20 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ "Ding breaks test limits of O'Sullivan's patience". London: The Guardian. 2006-08-21. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
- ^ "How to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan". BBC Sport. 2005-02-21. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
- ^ a b "Ronnie O'Sullivan – a troubled genius". Sweeble. 2005-02-02. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
- ^ "Bad breaks mount up for a troubled soul". London: The Independent. 2006-12-15. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
- ^ "World Snooker Player Profiles – Ronnie O'Sullivan". Sporting Life. 2005-03-31. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ a b "No ordinary genius". BBC Sport. 2001-05-01. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ "Steve Davis hails 'genius' champion Ronnie O'Sullivan". Daily Record. 2008-05-07. Retrieved 2010-01-28.
- ^ "O'Sullivan 'may be greatest'". BBC Sport. 2004-05-04. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ "Superb Higgins blows Rocket away". BBC Sport. 2005-10-16. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ "Whirlwind Q&A". BBC Sport. 2007-04-20. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
- ^ Harris, Nick (2005-05-05). "O'Sullivan needs consistency to match talent". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ Honeyball, Lee (2007-04-19). "O'Sullivan no value in wide-open contest". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ Broadbent, Rick (2007-04-20). "O'Sullivan feels in touch with better of the two Ronnies". London: The Times. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ "O'Sullivan best in the world". BBC Sport. 2008-05-02. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "White stuns O'Sullivan". BBC Sport. 2001-02-08. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
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- ^ Duncan, John (2006-07-29). "Rocket fired up to conquer a new world". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
- ^ "Snooker's Top Century Makers". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
(help)|publisher=
- ^ "O'Sullivan admits he strives for perfection". The Scotsman. 2007-02-16. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ "O'Sullivan calls for support". BBC Sport. 2002-11-12. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ "Awesome O'Sullivan wins Masters". BBC Sport. 2005-02-20. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
- ^ "Tale of two Ronnies". BBC Sport. 2001-05-08. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
- ^ "Ronnie O'Sullivan on how he changed his life". London: The Observer. 2004-10-31. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
- ^ "Ronnie wieder Papa" (in German). Eurosport. 2004-06-13. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
- ^ "Ronnie love split with partner Jo". The Sun. 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "Snooker's Ronnie on love, life and drugs". Smart Web. 2003-11-16. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ "Ace Ronnie joins Muslims". The Sun. 2003-09-29. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "Rocket Man: Ronnie O'Sullivan interview". BBC South Yorkshire. 2004-04-27. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ "Pocket calculator". London: The Guardian. 2004-10-31. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "Inside Sport". December 8, 2008. 20 minutes in. BBC. BBCWorld News.
{{cite episode}}
: Missing or empty|series=
(help) - ^ "Top Gear". Suzuki. 2009-08-14. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "Top Gear (series 4)". Wikipedia. 2009-08-14. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "Ronnie Turb-O'Sullivan". Global Snooker. 2009-08-14. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "O'Sullivan Puts The Wheels In Motion". Snooker Scene Blog. 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
(help)|publisher=
- ^ Ronnie O'Sullivan was stripped of his title after failing a drugs test after winning 9–3.
Further reading
- O'Sullivan, Ronnie (2004). Ronnie: The Autobiography of Ronnie O'Sullivan (rev. ed. ed.). London: Orion. ISBN 0-7528-5880-7.
{{cite book}}
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External links
- Official website
- "Official player profile of Ronnie O'Sullivan". wst.tv. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. "Players" section.
- Profile at Global Snooker
- Profile at Pro Snooker Blog
- Profile at WWW Snooker
- Profile at Snooker Club
- Profile at IPT
- "Ronnie "The Rocket" O'Sullivan fastest 147". YouTube. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
Template:Top sixteen male snooker players