Ronnie O'Sullivan

Frame-by-frame report: Can Ronnie O'Sullivan claim title number seven? Find out with Daniel Harris.

His performance in 2019, when he trounced Higgins 18-8, is not just the greatest snooker has ever seen but one of the greatest in any final in any any sport, ever, and if he can find that standard or anything close to it today, he can’t be counted out. Though he’s not the tearaway genius of 2004, when he lost just 26 frames in cruising to the title playing better than anyone ever has before, he’s no less a genius for that. Somehow, in a few seconds, they conveyed the respect for what they’d done and what they were going to do; how difficult that is and what it means; how impressed they were with each other and themselves; the bond forged between them through competition, the intimacy of intensity. Trump then beat Anthony McGill in a thriller, while Robertson lost a final-frame decider to Jack Lisowski, finally making good on his enormous potential and with Trump, one of his closest mates, again waiting to share the moment with him. But playing Ronnie in this form and headspace, a tight one to left-middle is soon gliding home, and nothing we’ve seen so far suggests today will be much different to yesterday. A blue to the yellow pocket, played righty, raises that elusive ton, and though the black doesn’t drop, Judd retires to his seat with a 106 behind him. In the box, Stephen is delighted that Judd took on that first black, because though it was high tariff, he badly needed the boost of sinking it. It’s not as fiendish as the one he despatched in the previous frame but is eminently missable and indeed he does miss it. He takes it nicely, and the frame is nearly his. So Ronnie ties to find the same spot off the red, double-kisses it instead, and that’s another frame in the books. Ronnie is the best front-runner snooker has ever seen because if he gets in front, it’s hard to play better than him by enough for long enough to prevent him bringing it home. Ronnie slides a red to left-middle, the first ball he’s removed in 25 minutes, he’s on the blue, and if the next red goes down he’ll have the black available to both pockets.

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Three years later, he turned professional and won 74 of his first 76 qualifying matches. His mother was then sentenced to a year in 1996 for tax evasion and their son was left to care for his eight-year-old sister Danielle. His father, Ronnie O’Sullivan Snr, was sentenced to life in prison in 1992 for murder and was released after serving 18 years. His first world final came in 2001 and he defeated John Higgins 18-14 to claim first world title and reach number two in the world rankings. But reports now suggest that the pair are back together. He made his first competitive century break at the age of 10 and went on to win the British Under-16 Championship at the age of 13.

You may have seen the famous clip of Diego Maradona's warm-up routine, from the second leg of Napoli's Uefa Cup semi-final against Bayern Munich in 1989: the ...

There is no one dominating the sport like he did, like Tiger Woods did.” It says something of the class of both men that Hendry was just as effusive about O’Sullivan. “No one does it better,” he said. And Hendry did all this despite never being a darling of the masses, like the Rocket or Whirlwind. We hear a lot of talk about the benefits of home advantage in sport but Hendry usually had the crowd against him – and worse. But the Scot was able to surpass it in 1994, beating White 18-17 in the final despite fracturing an elbow while going to the bathroom in the middle of the night earlier in the tournament. Back then Hendry could pot with the best of them and he was also blessed with a natural immunity to pressure. Perhaps the crucial moment came at 14-9 down as Hendry, with the cue ball in the jaws of the middle pocket, rolled in a brilliant brown. It is not just that Maradona pogos up and down with the ball seemingly glued to his head.

Jimmy White believes Ronnie O'Sullivan could end up winning 10 World Snooker Championship titles, smashing Stephen Hendry's long-held record of seven.

Trump, waiting in the wings, waiting to become a great player in time. ‘Hendry, Higgins, these are all great players. ‘Hate to say it, I’d rather be able to tell you that my mate Steve Davis was the greatest of all time, and he was, during his time.

RONNIE O'SULLIVAN said he had to quit 'dangerous' nights out with 'mental' Oasis singer Liam Gallagher in a throwback interview, because he is too easily ...

When my dad went away, I went off the rails a bit.” I went through a big drinking phase. “I have to choose my friends. As soon as he’d left, I’d be on the machines. Eighty percent of the time I’d lose it all. O’Sullivan took a commanding 12-5 lead yesterday over error-stewn Trump, leaving him just six frames short of a record-equally seventh title in the modern era.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has the ability to win a staggering 10 World Championship titles if he applies himself correctly, says fellow snooker legend Jimmy White.

"Trump is below-par, we have to say that. It was a sparkling session. If O'Sullivan goes on to claim a record-equalling seventh world title, White believes he could still kick on further and reach double-figures. He hasn't put Ronnie under any sort of pressure. His cue-ball control is there. The 46-year-old has dominated the final so far, despite a few dramatic incidents which threatened to overshadow proceedings.

Ronnie O'Sullivan made a strong start to the World Championship final, racing into a 5-3 lead over Judd Trump at the Crucible.

TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport TV Channel: BBC Two/Eurosport

Jimmy White and Alan McManus have hailed Ronnie O'Sullivan's commanding performance so far in the World Championship final against Judd Trump.

"Trump is below-par, we have to say that. The pair return on Monday afternoon for eight more frames, with Trump needing at least three to ensure the tournament showdown heads to the final session. Hecomplained early on about a security guard, invited referee Olivier Martell to "try it then"in an argument about a ball placement, and then had another extraordinary spat with him later on.