Ronnie O’Sullivan pushes fans to the max
He performs miracles on the snooker table, but sometimes Ronnie O’Sullivan can really get on your nerves.
He recorded his 10th maximum 147 break at the World Open in his 3-0 win over Mark King today, and it was a 147 that had great shots, time to ask for some advice and drama at the end - showcasing everything you need to know about O’Sullivan.
O’Sullivan always brings in the crowds, and they were treated to something special. After he potted the first red and colour, O’Sullivan stopped to ask referee Jan Verhaas what the prize-money would be for making a 147. When told there would be no additional cash to the £4,000 received for the highest break, he went on to play some tremendous shots and delighted the crowd at the SECC in Glasgow, especially when potting the 13th black and bringing the cue ball out of baulk to land perfectly on the penultimate red.
When he sunk the final pink, the crowd were about to witness another special maximum from the Rocket. Other players would have stepped up, potted the black and accepted the applause of the crowd. Not O’Sullivan. He refused to pot the black in protest of no extra prize-money being made available, but after being persuaded by Verhaas to pot it, in true O’Sullivan fashion he slammed the black into the pocket.
Luckily for him, the black went in at that extraordinary pace, because if it didn’t O’Sullivan would have been slightly embarrassed at the end. In potting the black, he now holds the record of making the most maximums, one more than Stephen Hendry. There must have been some in the audience thinking if O’Sullivan was taking it seriously, because for a time it didn’t look as though he was.
“After potting the first red and black I wanted to go for it so I asked the referee if there was a prize,” said O’Sullivan. “It would have been nice to have £25,000 so I could go on holiday. I would have got a kick out of just making a 140 and leaving the black. I don't think 147s are that difficult but everyone else thinks they are.”
O’Sullivan certainly tests everyone’s patience to the maximum when he plays.
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