Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan, is an English professional snooker player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he has been described by fellow professionals and commentators as a genius.A child prodigy, O'Sullivan began playing snooker at age 7, made his first competitive century break at age 10, and became British Under-16 Champion at age 13. On 13 March 1991, at the age of 15 years and 98 days, while playing in the English Amateur Championship, he became the youngest player to compile a maximum break in recognized competition, a record he held until 2017. After winning the IBSF World Under-21 Snooker Championship and Junior Pot Black in 1991, he turned professional in 1992. He achieved his first major professional success at the age of 17 years and 358 days when he defeated Stephen Hendry in the final of the 1993 UK Championship to become the youngest ever winner of a ranking title, a record he still holds. He is also the youngest player ever to have won the Masters, having captured his first title in 1995 at the age of 19 years and 69 days.O'Sullivan has won five World Championships, a record seven Masters titles, and a joint record six UK Championships, equalling Hendry's record of 18 titles in Triple Crown tournaments. His career total of 33 ranking titles is second only to Hendry's 36, while his estimated career earnings of £10 million put him in first place on snooker's all-time prize-money list. As a prolific break-builder, he holds the records for the most competitive century breaks [source], the most ratified maximum breaks in professional competition , and the fastest competitive maximum break, compiled at the 1997 World Championship. Based at the Legends Snooker Academy in Leytonstone, he also plays pool, and competed on the elite International Pool Tour in 2005.Throughout his career, O'Sullivan has been noted for his mercurial temperament, and has received multiple warnings and sanctions from snooker's governing body relating to his conduct and comments. He has an ambivalent relationship with the sport, from which he has taken prolonged sabbaticals and repeatedly threatened to retire.
Continue reading...From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.