Ronnie O'Sullivan arrived into today's World Snooker Championship quarter-final with Ding JunHui needing something special to battle back from his overnight deficit against Ding Jun Hui. Unfortunately for the Rocket, it hasn't worked out: he has been beaten 13-10.
O'Sullivan went down swinging, however, and produced the highest break of the tournament thus far on the opening frame of the final session: a scorching 146. It was speculated that Ronnie deliberately played for a 146, with Stephen Hendry saying on the BBC that "Let’s just say I don’t think he was giving it 110 per cent" in relation to playing for position on the black before clearing the final red.
O'Sullivan said afterward, however, that it was not his intention to play for a 146, and that he had come out of position.
The prize money for a maximum break now a fraction of what it once was. O'Sullivan earned a monstrous £165,000 for his legendary 5-minute maximum break twenty years ago, but would have made £15,000 this year had he made the 147.
Sadly, Ronnie is out, so enjoy his last great flourish at this year's world championships.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 146
Ridiculous from Ronnie! @ronnieo147 laughing on the way to making a rare 1⃣4⃣6⃣ break at the Crucible! #ilovesnooker @Betfred pic.twitter.com/KdCLkJQaCP
— World Snooker (@WorldSnooker1) April 26, 2017
