O’Sullivan makes ‘freakish’ admission over record-breaking moment | Other | Sport
Ronnie O’Sullivan has confessed that achieving two 147 breaks in a single match was ‘freakish’ – even for him. The seven-time world champion is currently gearing up for the UK Championship in York, which gets underway later this week.
It was back in August when O’Sullivan took part in the Saudi Arabia Masters in Riyadh, where the snooker legend made history, yet again. O’Sullivan managed to score two 147 breaks in the same match during his semi-final against Chris Wakelin.
The eight-time UK Championship winner secured a 6-3 win over Wakelin, with the first maximum break occurring in the opening frame. The second 147 break came in the seventh frame, making O’Sullivan the first player to achieve two maximum breaks in a single match on the same day.
With the World Championship just around the corner and the UK Championship looming, too, O’Sullivan has been reflecting on his form ahead of the tournament. The Rocket also opened up the ‘unbelievable’ feeling of scoring the two maximums.
“As a sportsman, I think that’s all you’re ever trying to do really is to chip away at the weaknesses,” O’Sullivan told TNT Sports.
“[You are] never going to be perfect, but you aim for that. You never stop aiming for perfection. You never stop. Although there isn’t perfection, I think there’s beyond perfection, I’ve had that many times. I think in Saudi Arabia for that semi-final, I just felt…
“We’re going to make mistakes, but that was instinctive for me. I felt instinctive and I felt clinically good, as well.
“I mean, that is probably the most freakish thing I’ve ever done in snooker. To make one 147 is amazing, but to get two in one match was just unbelievable.
“My long game’s never my best, but technically, I just felt great. I’m cueing well, I’m enjoying the game. I mean, I struggled for about three years before this, really doubted whether I could play the way I wanted to play, you know?”
O’Sullivan is set to compete for his ninth UK Championship title at the Barbican Centre in York, which starts this Saturday.
Defending champion Judd Trump will also be participating and, if O’Sullivan secures a win, then he would extend his record of nine championship victories throughout his distinguished career, with his last triumph dating back to 2023.
